Neighbors
by Remi16
Summary: AU. When Sasuke's car broke down, he asked his neighbor Sakura for a lift to school. Little did both of them know that the ride would be the beginning of something great. SxS
1. Chauffeur

**Author's Note:** I have been thinking about this story for awhile and decided that I couldn't wait any longer to post it. Please R&R to tell me what you think so far. :)

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 1:

**Chauffeur**

_"Out on the tar plains, the glides are moving  
All looking for a new place to drive  
You sit beside me, so newly charming..."_

_~"The Chauffeur" Duran Duran~_

* * *

Sakura laid in her bed and slowly lifted a drowsy eyelid open to check the time on the clock, groaning with dissatisfaction at the bright red numbers. She smothered her face into her pillow, letting it caress her features with a tempting offer to fall back to sleep. With an over-exaggerated sigh, she tossed her covers to the side and shuttered when the temperature of the room suddenly changed. Under her comforter, she was completely warm and her room was ice cold. She blocked out the chilly feeling and arched her back to stretch her body. It was part of a routine that she did every morning and she found that it actually helped her stay awake throughout the day.

She followed through her usual morning pattern by getting ready in the bathroom and putting on her Konoha High navy blue uniform on. She hated the plaid skirt that the school had required all female students to wear, especially in the weather they were experiencing now. The end of January was not the best time for somewhat short skirts like hers.

Hoppling down the stairs, Sakura managed to tug her knee-high socks up both of her legs while juggling her cellphone and unfinished math homework. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled up her nose. She smiled as she placed the cellphone and papers on the island counter and poured some into a pastel blue mug. As she took a sip, she mentally thanked her mother for waking up so early to make such a much needed element in Sakura's mornings.

She looked at the clock on the wall, seeing that she had a good chunk of time before she had to leave for school and decided to complete what homework she had neglected to finish. Meanwhile, her breakfast was being made in a toaster close by and dinged to alert its owner with the completion of its task. The rosette spread a massive slab of butter on two pieces of toast and sprinkled an unholy amount of cinnamon sugar on the slices. Her mouth melted with contentment as she took a bite off the corner of one of them.

Her phone buzzed and she rolled her eyes at the text message on the screen. Ino, her best friend that she prized and sometimes had an estranged friendship with, demanded to know if her friend was up and realized what time it was. Ever since Ino's little accident with her parents' car, the blonde was forbidden to be behind the wheel of any vehicle. Of course it was Sakura's duty as a cherished friend to act as Ino's taxi until her parents relieved her (and Sakura) from her punishment. There were only a few weeks that Sakura had left of driving Ino to and from school plus other wanted destinations and it was a much awaited deadline for her.

After replying to the message on her phone that she was going to leave in five minutes, Sakura scribbled an answer to her last homework problem and prepared herself for the cold outdoors. She flung her messenger bag over her shoulder, poured the remaining coffee into a thermos, and headed outside with her unfinished toast in hand.

A blast of cold air hit her frame and she had goose bumps crawl up her body. The remaining bits of snow mounds covered dull brown lawns and atop parked cars on iced driveways. She made her way over to her small silver car and turned it on. The vehicle roared to life and she leaned against its exterior so that she could wait for the heater to warm up. Munching on the same piece of toast from before, she looked down at her watch and then back up at the doorway to the house next door. Surprisingly enough, this was also habitual for her to do before heading off for school.

Next door was the ever-so famous Sasuke Uchiha. The most of the girls at their school were obsessed with him. They flocked to his locker in the mornings and followed him from class to class unless he managed to find a way to slip away from them. The teens would stalk him when he went to his baseball practices and were at almost every game. As much as they loved him, some probably not even knowing why they find him so attractive, they knew very little about him. The mysterious Uchiha did not speak to those that he didn't know personally and had a demeanor that kept most onlookers at bay.

The girls at Konoha High each had a theory about him. The one that a bulk of them liked to believe was that he was rich beyond compare. He drove an expensive car to school and lived in a mansion with a butler, a horde of maids, and a personal chef. Sakura laughed at these assumptions of Sasuke. Unlike the girls at school, she knew the truth about the Uchiha youth. Because she was indeed his neighbor, Sasuke did not live in a mansion nor did he own a classy car. In fact, Sasuke drove what most would call a clunker car that liked to stall in the extreme cold and even less dire arctic conditions like today. Sakura would have to move her car over to his driveway and help revive up his "antique".

Sakura didn't hate Sasuke. On the contrary, they were kind of friends if someone wished to call them such. She would talk to him occasionally and if she was lucky, he would answer. They shared a few things in common like classes, a lunch period, and a loud-mouthed blonde friend named Naruto who was more so Sasuke's friend then anything.

However, it was the school mornings that Sakura looked forward to before having to leave to get Ino. Everyday since sophomore year, she would wait outside and say hi to him as he got ready to leave in his car. He would respond back and casually tell her that he would see her in class. On rare occasions, she would find their roles reversed although he was never the one to say hi first. She didn't know why they followed this routine every morning, but she liked it. It gave her something to look forward to.

The pinkette looked down at her watch again and saw that she really had to be leaving to get Ino soon. Sighing and figuring that Sasuke was ill, she was about to climb into her warm vehicle when the door to Sasuke's house swung open. The raven-haired teen calmly went over to his car and turned the key in the ignition. Sakura watched as he struggled to get the car to start and saw his shoulders slightly slum with disappointment.

"Would you like me to help start the battery up?" she called over, holding her coffee thermos close to her mouth so that the steam could run over her cold lips.

He slammed the door close and started heading in her direction. She furrowed her brow when he didn't answer her and took a sip of coffee. Sasuke went over to the passenger side of her car and leaned over its roof, staring at her with dark eyes.

"Could you just drive me today?" he asked.

Sakura, taken aback by his unique request, replied, "Sure, is your battery completely dead or something?"

He nodded and climbed inside the vehicle. "I forgot to get a new over the weekend."

She smiled and backed the car out onto the road. The car was filled with a pregnant silence except for the sound of the heater blasting hot air around them. Sakura was not accustomed to the stillness and tapped her fingers against the steering wheel. Ever so often she would glance in his direction to see what he was doing and each time he was staring out the frosted window. Sighing, she tired to think of something to talk about. She found it strange how she could talk to him normally when surrounded by friends, but alone, she couldn't strike up a single topic.

Out of desperation, she turned up the volume on her radio and let the rhythmic tunes flow through the silence. Sasuke fidgeted in his seat and sent a mental note to Sakura that the music was either too loud or really annoying. Begging for a more melodic and calmer song, she brought the volume back down and leaned against her seat.

The car signaled right and the rosette turned into a new neighborhood. Sasuke made a slight groan, rubbing his brows with anxiety.

"Sorry, but we're making a quick stop," Sakura explained, heading towards a cul-de-sac. "I should have warned you first."

"I suppose so," was the reply.

"It's just that I have to drive Ino to school and I apologize in advance if she bothers you," Sakura added.

She could understand why he did not want to come this way. Ino was very much a gossip queen and Sasuke was trying to hide certain aspects of his life. He was mysterious for a reason and if Ino found out that he lived near Sakura, then word would get out. Sasuke fan girls would cover his lawn with their silliness and the quiet home life that he was familiar with would be over. Sakura was going to do her best to keep his private life just that.

They pulled up to a typical blue-shutter home and Sakura told Sasuke that she would be right back. Leaving the car running, she hustled to Ino's door and knocked roughly on it. Immediately, it opened to reveal an impatient blonde with a bag slung over her shoulder. She tapped the face of her watch and narrowed her eyes at the rosette.

"You're late, Forehead," Ino stated, holding the door open.

"Well, excuse me Pig. Let's see if I drive you to school ever again or anywhere else as a matter of fact," Sakura retorted.

Ino snorted and stepped outside to lock her front door. As she turned the key, she asked, "Have all your dance equipment?"

Sakura nodded. Everyday whenever Sakura would come to pick up Ino, they would both ask each other if they had grabbed everything so that nothing was left at home by accident. The ritual question was quite helpful for hectic mornings because at least one of them would remember the stuff. For Sakura, it was her dance class equipment while Ino had to remember her cheerleader garb.

"Before we get to the car, I have to tell you something," Sakura said. "And you'll have to be completely mature about it."

Ino rolled her cerulean eyes. "Please, I can be mature."

"We have a guest in the car," Sakura explained.

The blonde began to jump up and down in excitement, clapping her gloved hands.

"Who? Who!" she enthusiastically asked. "Do I know them?"

The pink-locked girl nodded and pointed her thumb behind her. Ino rose up onto her tiptoes and glanced over her friend's shoulder. Her eyes grew wide and a bright smile crept up her lips. She covered her mouth in shock, and then pointed at the car only to cover her mouth again. Ino looked to Sakura, asking with her eyes if who she was seeing was not a mere illusion. Sakura nodded and the blonde squealed.

"Sasuke Uchiha!" she shrieked gleefully. "Sakura, how did you get Sasuke Uchiha in your car?"

"He asked for a lift and I let him in," Sakura casually answered. "This is a one time thing and please don't drool over him."

"Come on Sakura, like I would do that!" Ino exclaimed. "I have Shikamaru, I wouldn't dare drool over how hot Sasuke is or how his uniform is conveniently snug in all the right places."

"You're doing it right now!"

Ino waved her off and laughed. "Fine, let's head to school."

They stepped into the car and Sakura headed towards Konoha High. Ino was doing really well, behaving exactly like Sakura had told her to. She kept a civil conversation with the rosette while in Sasuke's presence only asking his opinion on serious subjects. In a way, Sakura was a bit jealous of Ino in how she was able to find a way to include Sasuke in a discussion while she failed to do so. Ino wasn't even that much of a friend to the young Uchiha. But despite envious feelings, Sakura was grateful that the silence she was experiencing was now gone. Ever so often she would look through the rearview mirror and see Ino twirl her hair as she talked. Her purple nails twisting in the sheer locks that Sakura wished she had.

Sakura turned into the entrance of the high school and headed towards the student parking-lot. Her silver car hummed as she attempted to squeeze it into her assigned spot after seeing that the cars parked around her spot had shifted over into her own. With an exasperated sigh, she cut the engine. Ino and Sasuke removed themselves from her vehicle, throwing their belongings over their shoulders. Sasuke grunted, placing Sakura's attention on him, and he tipped his head to salute her. As he walked off, Sakura felt an arm wrap around one of her own. It was obvious to her who it was since Ino's lavender fragrance was never something to go unnoticed. She tugged at the rosette to walk with her and they entered the school.

"Well then," Ino voiced, pushing her way passed students. "I did not expect that."

"Excuse me?" Sakura asked looking up at her taller friend.

"Sasuke, duh!" Ino exclaimed. "That was rude of him."

"What do you mean?"

The blonde sighed and poked the other girl on the forehead. "He didn't even thank you for taking him to school!"

Sakura rolled her eyes and kept walking.

"Ino, he thanked me in his own way. He wasn't being rude," Sakura explained.

"You are obviously ignorant about how a man should act towards a woman," Ino professed. "A gentleman is always respectful when encountering the opposite sex, meaning that they express their gratitude with actual words instead of head nods."

Sakura just stared at the blonde, her jade eyes looking at her in wonderment. She shook her head as the two of them ended up at their shared locker.

"Where do find stuff like that Ino?" Sakura said, putting in the the combination to the locker. "It sort of sounds like you made it up."

The blonde huffed and pulled a science text book from the now opened locker.

"Earth to Sakura: you are not the only one who reads," Ino informed her. "Besides I already told you that you are uneducated about this type of stuff."

"Whatever you say Ino," Sakura sighed, taking a thick novel from the locker. "But I still don't think he was being rude."

The blonde rolled her eyes as the bell rang. She patted the rosette on the shoulder and told her that she had to go. Shikamaru was apparently waiting for her by the school library and was to take her to her next class. They would have to continue their discussion during lunch, the only period that they shared. However, Sakura knew that her friend would more than likely forget about the conversation by displaying a bulk of newly discovered gossip that would have evolved over the next couple of periods.

She shut the door to the grey locker with a slight slam (the thing tended not to close all the way sometimes) and pressed her class material against her chest with a sigh. Glancing up at the clock on the hallway wall, she headed off towards her first period class of the day.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Mostly just an explanation of what Sakura does in the morning, but I promise it will get better. Each chapter will have a song with it that may (or may not) conicide with what the chapter is about. Have a favorite song (well of course you do, everyone has at least one)? When/ If you review, tell me what it is. I will possibly put them in future chapters. Just a friendly request. Anyway, I hope that you liked the chapter. If you see anything wrong with it, let me know. Thanks for reading. :)


	2. Name of the Game

**Author's Note:** Seeking You is finally finished so I can give this new story the proper attention it deserves. Enjoy chapter two and please review. :)

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Naruto or the songs that I use.

Chapter 2:

**Name of the Game**

_"What's the name of the game?  
__Does it mean anything to you?  
What's the name of the game?  
Can you feel it the way I do?  
Tell me please, 'cause I have to know."_

_~"The Name of the Game" ABBA~_

* * *

Mr. Iruka stood at the front of the class with his back to his students and began to write on the board. He looked to a book in his hand for reference as he wrote and spoke loudly to his students the assignment he was going to give. Sakura sat at her desk and only mildly listened to what her teacher was saying. She peered out the window by her desk, cursing that he had placed her there. It was a distraction and only made her want to be done with school entirely even though it was only the first period of the day. Tapping her pencil against the side of her notebook, she sighed.

Out of boredom, she began to look around the classroom. Students scribbled down pointers Mr. Iruka had suggested with their projects and cringed when he said how much the assignment was worth towards their final grade. Then her sights went to the classroom walls. Administrators had decided to paint all the walls a bright white in hopes of eliminating any distractions that could occur with posters or colorful paint. Sakura snorted. Didn't the administrators know that the white walls were even more distracting then colorful ones? It left the wall up to the student's imagination to create colorful sequences on the wall when they were bored. That and it was just so very white.

The student in front of her shifted their body weight, making their desk bump hers. It commonly happened with the new desks that had been brought in over winter break. The desks were attached to the students' chairs and moved when they did. It was annoying, but now no one had to search for a chair if theirs was missing. The classmate in front of her was in fact Sasuke. He scratched the back of his neck and continued to copy down Iruka's words. Sakura started to stare at the back of Sasuke's head, remembering what Ino had said.

_A gentleman is always respectful when encountering the opposite sex, meaning that they express their gratitude with actual words instead of head nods._

Pssh, what did Ino know about men being a gentleman anyway. She was a girl for crying out loud. Plus even her boyfriend wasn't like that. Shikamaru smoked ( a nasty habit, mind you) quite a bit despite Ino's constant reminders to stop. He was beyond lazy and ignored his girlfriend's chatter. Even worse of all, he had another girlfriend. For two months he would be with Ino and would then switch to another girl, Temari who went to another school entirely, for another two months. Sakura wondered why Ino would even take Shikamaru back each time he broke up with her.

Someone cleared their throat and the classroom became suddenly still. "Miss Haruno?"

Sakura broke her stare at the back of Sasuke's head and looked up at the front of the classroom. Mr. Iruka narrowed his gaze at her, holding his book slack in his hand. Her classmates all stared at her and some snickered.

"Yes?" she asked, turning red.

"I was wondering if you could remind the class how long your paper has to be," he explained, looking irritated.

Guilt overcame her and she dug deep into her mind to find any record of what Iruka had been explaining before. Finding none, she gulped and tried to come up with a random number. Just then, Sasuke leaned back in his chair and scratched his head again. Her eyes began to follow his hand and widened at what she saw. Written small on the back of his hand was a sleek black five. She glanced back to Iruka who was still waiting for an answer and blurted out, "Five."

Iruka's eyebrows rose. "And what is the essay about?"

Sasuke touched his neck and Sakura read, "Thematic elements in the story _Othello_ and how they effect the play?"

"Very good Miss Haruno," Iruka said with a fake smile. Then added, "However, might I ask that you pay attention next time I give an assignment? Even though I'm sure that Mr. Uchiha was more than happy to assist you in answering my questions, I would like the answers to come directly from you next time."

"Of course sensei," she said, reddening when she realized that she was caught.

Iruka sighed and went back to explaining the assignment. Although she said she would listen, Sakura just doodled on her notebook until class was dismissed by a shrill bell. As students began to file out of the classroom, the rosette tapped the shoulder of her broading classmate. Tossing his bag over his shoulder, Sasuke turned to face her with a blank expression.

"Thanks for the save back there," she told him with a slight grin. "I was sure that was going to slaughter me if I didn't respond correctly."

He shrugged. "Consider it a thanks for this morning."

With that said he left the classroom without another word, leaving Sakura alone to rethink Ino's words.

* * *

The rest of the day went by sort of fast and before Sakura knew it lunch time had arrived. She stood in line like most of the other students at Konoha High and awaited to be served. Today's lunch was a decent looking slab of pizza which was sketchy for some, but Sakura placed one on her tray anyway. Her stomach was growling up a storm and was in a desperate need for nourishment. Completing her meal with a yogurt, a small salad, and a bottle of water, she headed over to the table that she shared with Ino and the rest of her closest friends. She was lucky to land a lunch period with her three best friends, having only a few classes with just one of them.

She was the last to arrive at the table and set her tray next to Tenten. The athletic girl smiled as the rosette sat down and greeted her. She moved her lacrosse gear to the chair next to her so that there was more room for both girls to be seated comfortably. On the other side of the table and next to Ino was perhaps the meekest girl in the entire school, Hinata Hyuuga. Her family was well known, almost as popular as the Uchiha name, and was extremely wealthy. She transferred into Konoha High from a private school about two years ago so that she could be "properly socialized" as she had told her friends. She squeaked a brief hello to Sakura as well.

It appeared that she had just stumbled in on one of Ino's gossip stories and pretended to listen as she nibbled on her slice of pizza. As Ino spoke, she waved her hands around as if to emphasize the situation she was talking about.

"And then the girl fell on her butt and her shoe flew up in the air and hit a locker down the hall," Ino narrated. "Poor thing must be humiliated."

"You're only making it worst by talking about it," Tenten said picking off a pepperoni from her pizza and chewing it.

"Am not!" the blonde exclaimed, furrowing her brow.

The table was silent after that and Ino pouted in her seat. Then her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands together. She reached into her bookbag and removed a notebook and purple pen.

"Let's play a game," she enthusiastically said. "Who wants to play?"

Neither of the other three girls volunteered to join and sunk into their seats. They knew what Ino was thinking of doing and she had been wanting to play this certain game for awhile now. The blonde's demeanour changed rapidly and she jutted her lip as if she was about to cry. Sighing, Sakura voiced, "Fine, I'll join."

Ino squealed and wrote MASH at the top of the paper. It had been a long time since Sakura had played MASH. In fact, the last time she could remember ever doing it was in middle school. Back then it was the "it" thing to do and almost every pre-teen girl had believed the fate the game had spat out. Ino advised her not to peek as she wrote the chooses for each category in large letters. By the time Ino was finished, Sakura had abandoned her pizza and went directly for the strawberry yogurt.

"Now tell me when to stop," Ino demanded Sakura and then began to draw a purple swirl on the notebook paper.

After awhile, the rosette told Ino to stop and watched as her friend counted the lines in the swirl.

"Okay, you're number is six," she told Sakura and winked. "I hope it's lucky."

Ino then proceeded down the page, counting out the number six, and eliminating the sixth thing she came across. When the page was scribbled and completely scratched on, Ino held it up close to her face and read it aloud.

"You, Sakura Haruno, will live in a house," Ino started off. "You'll be a doctor with a salary of $30,000 and will have two kids. Your wedding dress will be white and while your honeymoon will be at a beach resort."

She looked up from the page she read with mischievous eyes. Her cheshire cat grin was enormous.

"And finally, your husband is: Sasuke Uchiha."

"What?" Sakura interjected. "Give me that."

She snatched the paper from Ino's hand and looked it over. Scanning over the page, she saw that Ino was right. It said that she was going to marry Sasuke. Glancing up from the paper with narrowed jade eyes, she shook her head.

"You did that on purpose," Sakura said roughly.

The blonde shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, fate is fate. The MASH universe obviously wants you and Sasuke together so deal."

"Whatever you say Ino," the rosette responded, handing the page back only to have it refused by the blonde.

"It's yours to keep my friend," she said. "Consider it a gift from me to you."

"Wow, thanks Ino!" Sakura joking exclaimed.

The blonde wrinkled her nose. "Hey, now! I saw the look on your face when you read the paper."

Sakura looked confused and sat back in her chair. "What look?"

"Your pleased look. I know that face anywhere," Ino projected. "Admit it! You were excited to see that you got Sasuke as your MASH husband!"

Sakura waved her accusation away and denied her completely. She told her friend that it was impossible for her to be happy to have Sasuke as her fated husband since the two of them were only friends. When Ino rolled her eyes and went into a conversation with the rest of the table, Sakura opened up the MASH paper that she had crumbled up under the table. Staring at the life the game had planned out for her, she was conflicted since Ino had once again been right. She was pleased with the outcome and that's what confused her most of all+.

* * *

**Author's Note:**Ahh, MASH. I loved playing MASH when I was younger (and I still sort of do). It was like the ultimate fortune telling game at my school and anyone could be a victim of it. Although as my friends and I got older, we made the game more ridiculous and added names to the list of boys under the husband category that were absurd like "random guy wearing an Iron Maiden t-shirt next to pick-up truck" and "the neighborhood beagle". Heehee, good times. A little Sakura and Sasuke interaction here, more of that is to come. Sakura has discovered a weird new feeling and is unsure what to do about it. And since this is a new story, updates will more than likely be random until I come up with a distinct day for it. Anyway, look for another Neighbors update sometime in the future. Hope you enjoyed what I have so far and once again please review. :)

Edit: For those who don't know what MASH is, here is a link that you can go to: .org/wiki/MASH_(game). Oh, and that part where Ino was talking about a girl falling down and losing her shoe? Yeah, that happened to me long time ago.


	3. Collect Call

**Author's Note:** Sorry to keep you waiting. Here is the next chapter of Neighbors. Enjoy and please review. :)

**Disclaimer:**I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 3:

**Collect Call**

**"**_I'm a lazy dancer,  
__When you move I move with you."  
_

_~"Collect Call" Metric~_

* * *

The dance studio was silent and vast. In its center was a sole dancer, standing tall and completely still. Her composure was so strong and intense that she looked like an elegant doll. She took deep, shortened breaths and outstretched her arms. The soft sound of a piano began to fill the room and the dancer took action. At first, she was very petite about her movements. Her feet delicately touching the studio mats. In her head, she counted out the beats of the piano that matched with her moves.

Then she held her arms up in front of her, moving them like they were in a dance of their own. When they reached her face, she covered her features and tilted her head to the side. If someone were to walk in on her at that very moment, they would have believed that she was grieving by the way her hands were placed. Slowly throwing her head back, the dancer held her footing as she let her upper body thrash around in a circle. The piano became louder, its beautiful song echoing around the girl. The dancer let one of her feet slide which made it appear that she was falling. She caught herself and bent her body low. Her right leg lifted into the air, stiff and perfect. The girl's arms opening into a wide embrace that held no one.

She lowered her leg only to have it hovering above the ground at mid-calf. Toes pointed and arms positioned in their correct places, the doll-like dancer began to spin. Her pirouette became faster each time she pivoted on her left toe. It was amazing that she had not lost her balance and remained clear of any form of dizziness. Quickly placing her foot back down, the dancer exhaled and skipped along the studio mats. When she had counted out three skips, she launched herself into the air. Her back arched and her legs spread themselves wide into a position that easily looked like a split. Throwing her arms behind her, it was almost like she had wings.

She landed with precision; a single pointed leg holding her up as she leaned forward to lessen the momentum. As the song began to end, she lifted her body back up for another twirl. This time her right leg was held out farther in front of her and touched the ground only to speed her up. When the recognizable last beats of the piano entered her ears, the dancer did a little jump forward while spinning a number of times before landing in the same spot in which she had originated from. Her feet placed themselves one in front of the other, gluing their heels to the mats. The girl rose her arms up in the air like she was holding a large ball and then bowed when her song was over.

The dancer's ears perked up when an unexpected sound filled the room where the piano had once ruled. It was a soft clapping noise and the dancer had thought that she was the only one in the room. She wasn't upset that someone had liked her routine, on the contrary. However, she was practicing the routine alone so that she could evaluated herself without distractions and comments from other dancers. She turned to the studio door to meet her admirer.

"Midnight Sonata by Beethoven," the one-man audience spoke. "Interesting song choice Sakura."

"Well Sasuke, what better song to dance ballet to then a classical piece?" she retorted back. "It's much easier to do my routine to this then to some rap song."

Sasuke shifted his bag on his shoulder. "I wasn't saying that it was a bad choice. Just something unexpected from a high school dancer."

"Thanks I guess," Sakura said as she went over to her dance bag, letting her pink hair out of the rough bun she had put it in. "Not to be rude or anything, but why are you here?"

"Uh, you drove me to school?"

"And you want a drive home I suppose," she assumed. "I guess I just thought that you would catch a ride home with Naruto or something."

For a moment, it had sounded like Sasuke had laughed.

"Normally I would, but the idiot got himself detention for the afternoon," Sasuke explained. When Sakura rose a curious brow, he added, "Tried to play a prank on Kakashi again."

Sakura smirked. Upon entering high school, it had been Naruto's goal to play a prank on Mr. Hatake, their math teacher for about four years now. His friends were unsure of why he was so set on playing a prank on his teacher since he failed all the time. It was only common to hear that the blonde had attempt to place a whoopee cushion on the teacher's chair or a pen that shot out ink way too quickly. Those that knew Naruto best never bothered to ask what prank he had been placed in detention for since he would be too pissed to explain why he failed.

Now here Sakura was with Sasuke once again asking her for a ride. She wrapped her coat around her workout clothes and adjusted her boots onto her feet as she removed her ballet shoes. With both her ballet and school bag around her shoulders, she gestured for Sasuke to follow her out into the parking lot. As they grew closer to her car, her heart began to thump nervously. It was completely odd to her since she felt like she had no reason to be nervous in the first place. She had rode in a car with Sasuke before, so why was it a problem? It couldn't be because Ino would not be there this time since she had begged Shikamaru to take her home in Sakura's stead. Then again, it could be Ino's fault. Perhaps Sakura felt nervous because of the MASH game from lunch. It had said that she would marry Sasuke which was in a way awkward for Sakura since she had some nagging feeling that he knew about the game. However if she recalled correctly, the game had also predicted that she would have ten kids and live in a shack. The odds that anything said in the game to be true was slim to none. There shouldn't be a problem.

Yet here she was, hands shaking and heart racing. She pulled out of her parking spot and began to trail off towards their shared neighborhood. Like that morning, they were met with silence and this time Sakura couldn't stand it. It was one thing to feel strange around him, but it was ridiculous to cease all conversations with him. It was stupid of her to have trouble coming up with a simple topic to talk about when she was only conversing with him moments before. She needed to fill the silent void in her car. Opening her mouth to speak, she began to muster up any random word that they could begin a conversation with. However, he beat her to it.

"I need your help," Sasuke stated plainly, staring out the car window.

"O-okay," Sakura responded. "With what?"

He cleared his throat. "The _Othello_ assignment."

Sakura gave him a funny look. Never in a million years did she think that Sasuke Uchiha would need help with an assignment. It also surprised her that he had asked her for such a thing. She had to admit that she had believed some of what the Sasuke fangirls had said regarding his intellect, knowing most of everything else they had fabricated was false. She did not expect him to need help.

As if he could since her confusion, he started to explain.

"I did read most of the book, but it began to bore me," he started off. "I lost interest so quickly that I had forgotten to highlight major reoccurring themes and quotes. I know that you pay attention in Iruka's class, though you didn't today; you have an A in there for sure. I would ask someone else who also has Iruka for a teacher, but that would just leave me with fangirls and people who pay less attention than myself."

Sakura wrinkled her nose as she thought. "I see, well I guess I could help you."

"If it's not a hindrance that is," he quickly added on.

"Of course not," she objected. "I'll do the best to help you in any shape or form. Why don't we meet up tomorrow at the little cafe by the library? It's quiet in there and it has a nice studious atmosphere, at least it feels that way to me. Perhaps after school at three?"

"That'll be fine," was his response.

The silver car pulled up into Sakura's driveway and Sasuke removed himself from it's interior with his bag in tow. He leaned down, peering into the car.

"Thanks for the ride. See you tomorrow."

With that said, he headed over to his own house across the street. Sakura had the sudden impulse to look in her rear-view mirror and was taken quite aback by what she saw. Her cheeks were beyond pink; her hair would cry in shame if the shade was any darker. And more importantly, she wore such a wide and childish grin that she hid it with her hand in embarrassment although there was no one there to see it. Then she began to chuckle quietly and went into her home to do homework.

* * *

"So what's new with you since I saw you last?" Ino said on the other side of the phone.

Sakura laid on her bed with her books and notes scattered around her with her cellphone set on speaker. She had showered since she had returned home from school and was now elbow deep in homework. However, she was quite comfortable doing it since she had someone to talk to while she worked and was wearing her pajamas.

"Nothing really," she replied subtly. "I'm going to do an assignment with Sasuke tomorrow."

"_Really now_?" the blonde said. "How did you get so lucky?"

The rosette rolled her eyes. "He asked if I would like to do it with him."

The blonde squealed and her friend winced at the pitch. Shaking her head, Sakura went back to concentrating on her history worksheet.

"You're going on a date with Sasuke Uchiha!" Ino exclaimed. Sakura could hear her sigh on the other end of the phone. "Amazing, just truly amazing. So where are you going?"

"It is not a date Ino," Sakura explained. "And I suggested that we meet at that cafe you and I like to go to sometimes. You know, Casydi's down by the mall?"

"Oh, so you picked the spot for the date. How modern."

Now Sakura was completely distracted from her work. Her pencil tapped the edge of her history book in annoyance. "For the last time Ino, it is not a date. It's two people getting together to work on an assignment, nothing more. And just because I got him as a husband in MASH does not mean that this is the first sign that the game's prediction is coming true cause its not."

Ino chuckled on the other end.

"You keep telling yourself that Sakura," she said cheerfully. "And who on earth mentioned MASH? I surely didn't."

Sakura grumbled, "But you were thinking it. I know you too well Ino Yamanaka."

Sighing, Ino responded, "Whatever Sakura. Just remember to invite me to the wedding after you go on your date."

"It is not a date!" the rosette shouted into the phone only to hear her blonde friend laugh playfully as she hung up the phone.

What Sakura was doing tomorrow was not a date. There was no way it was one. It was just two somewhat friends getting together to work on a english paper, nothing more. By why was Sakura now feeling like Ino was right?

* * *

**Author's Note: **And thus I give you more SasuSaku interaction although it is, but a little bit. The song used in the beginning is one of my favorites from the band Metric. They are a pretty decent band and if you ever so wish to check them out, you should. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and once again I do not have a specified update date so the next chapter will be whenever. Please review. :)


	4. Coffee Song

**Author's Note:** So I enjoyed myself yesterday. It was my eighteenth birthday and I got a surprising gift from my mother when school ended for the day. Before she left for work, she went to the school parking lot and wrote happy birthday on almost all my windows in decorative car paint. I was certainly surprised. Anyway, yay new chapter! Enjoy and please review. :)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 4:

**Coffee Song**

_"Way down among Brazilians  
Coffee beans group by the billions  
So they've got to find those extra cups to fill  
They've got an awful lot of coffee in Brazil."  
_

_~Coffee Song- Frank Sinatra~_

_

* * *

_

The next day, there was no need for Sakura to drive Sasuke to school. After driving him home, Sasuke had finally went out and bought a car battery. And since she had no need to drive Sasuke to and from school, Sakura went directly home right after dropping Ino home. She ran upstairs to her room and threw her bag onto her bed which produced a loud thump. Peeling her coat from her shoulders, the rosette opened her closet. There was no way that she was going to meet Sasuke at Casydi's cafe in her school uniform. Plus she didn't like wearing it outside of school in the first place and wanted to be wearing comfortable clothes.

As she tossed hanger upon hanger of clothes onto her bed, Sakura did not notice her mother enter the room. The older woman leaned against the closet door and watched her daughter look through her clothes. She cleared her throat, making Sakura jump at least a foot.

"Mom!" Sakura exclaimed. "Why are you home so early?"

"I had the day off today. Didn't you see my car in the garage?" her mother asked as she scanned the open closet behind her daughter.

Of course Sakura didn't see the car. She had gone through the front door since the battery in her garage door opener had died. She shook her head and went back to looking through her clothes. Her mother sighed.

"Collared white button up top with the gray cami and a pair of jeans, " her mother said out of the blue.

Sakura turned back around and gave her mother a curious look. Mrs. Haruno shrugged with a weak smile.

"You'll look sophisticated and comfortable plus the cami is not too low enough to show that much cleavage which will make him curious and you gorgeous," her mother explained.

Hand on her hip, Sakura replied, "Who told you?"

"You did last night on the phone with Ino. You're quite loud when you talk on the phone."

"It's not a date mom," Sakura plainly stated.

Mrs. Haruno took a step back, hands raised defensively. "I never said it was one. I was only helping in an outfit choice."

The rosette pulled her clothes aside in her closet and looked at her watch. She had only twenty minutes to come up with something to wear before she had to meet Sasuke at the cafe. Her mother was quite talented when it came to throwing an outfit together for certain occassions. Maybe she should let her mother pick out her outfit since she was coming up with blanks. Sighing, Sakura nodded her mother towards the closet and explained some ground rules for the outfit. It had to be comfortable and couldn't some how make someone think that she was romatically interested in them like her mother had originally had thought. She was so not interested in Sasuke like that.

Mrs. Haruno gently pushed her daughter to the side and went through the clothes with a serious aura suddenly overcoming her. It only took her a few seconds to pull out something that made her daughter content with her choice. In her hands was a green hoodie, a white cami, and a white t-shirt with a scoop neckline. Over her shoulder was a pair of Sakura's low cut jeans that had a little flare at the bottom. It was definitely something Sakura would wear.

"Now," her mother began, handing the outfit to Sakura. "You can wear the hoodie with the cami or the t-shirt. I personally would choose the t-shirt, but it's up to you."

"Thanks mom," Sakura said rushing past her mother towards the bathroom to change. She took a step back and gave her mother a peck on the cheek before closing the bathroom door behind her. Mrs. Haruno simply smiled and began to put her daughter's discarded clothes back into the closet they had been thrown from.

* * *

Sasuke walked into Casydi's ten minutes late. If it wasn't for Naruto, he would have been there earlier. His stupid friend lost his car keys and begged for Sasuke to help him. He would have refused if Naruto hadn't threatened to expose his place of residence to much hated fans. The idiot was going to owe him big time for this and was more than likely going to be reprimanded for his threat. Then again, how both boys were acting was just how they were with each other despite their friendship.

Since he was late, Sasuke did not have much time to change out of his uniform as much as he liked. He still wore his white oxford style button up shirt and navy blue sweater vest (the thing he detested the most). Luckily, he had a pair of jeans that he kept in his car just in case he was running late to some event with friends. All he had to do was untuck his shirt and remove the sweater vest and volia! He was ready to go.

Casydi's was just what he expected it to be. A run of the mill cafe that believed it was some how unique, but wasn't quite there yet. The walls were painted in a clay tone that made him want to fall asleep. It didn't help that the smell of coffee filled his nose. Coffee, usually used to wake someone up, brought Sasuke into a slumbersome state. Plus the noise of the hustle and bustle of the places that sell the drink and the added bonus of the jazz-like music in the background annoyed him to no end. He stayed away from coffee shops knowing that he didn't like what they did to him. However, here he was inside one. Why he had agreed to meet Sakura here was beyond him. There was no way he was going to get any work done if he felt sleepy.

He searched the cafe tables for Sakura and caught a glimpse of her pink hair towards the back of the room. As he approached, he found himself holding his breath. She sat at a table, slouching in her chair with books and notebook scattered around the table. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and there was something else about her he couldn't quite pin-point about her. The noise of the cafe began to null around him as he walked towards her. His heart beat fast in his chest and he briefly clutched it in confusion. Was he nervous? He shouldn't be; Sakura was not someone new or a person he felt like he needed to be jittery around. Sasuke put on a calm and collect face and placed his stuff on her table.

Sakura didn't notice, too enthralled in the book in her hand. She took a sip of the to-go coffee cup by her notebook and turned the page. Sasuke cleared his throat in hopes that she would take notice of his presence only to fall short in his own expectations. Sighing, Sasuke stood right in front of her and squatted down at the same level of her book. It was then that he realized why she hadn't acknowledged him. In her ears was a pair of earphones and from the looks of it, her music must be turned up very loud in order to block out the extra noise of the cafe. Sasuke took hold of her book and removed it from her grasp. She just sat there for a second as if she was trying to figure out what just happened and then looked up. When she recognized Sasuke, she smirked and removed her earphones.

"Sorry, I tend to get lost in my book from time to time," she apologized, gesturing for him to sit.

"I'm just wondering why you read and listen to music at the same time," he said, rummaging through his pack for his supplies.

"I listen to classical music so that I can recall what I read better," the rosette explained. "It's a tip I received after learning about multiple intelligences in my pyschology class last year."

"Ah, well I hope you can put those multiple intelligences to use and help me with this essay," Sasuke said.

Sakura laughed and scooted her chair closer to Sasuke. "Alrighty then, what thematical element have you decided to focus on?"

"Reputation."

"An easy one I see," Sakura retorted with a small smile. Before Sasuke could counter her claim, she added, "Yet a very good motiff for an essay. Now let's figure out how it effects the play shall we?"

* * *

By the time it was five o'clock, Sasuke had written all that he need for his essay and had begun to write his paper. Sakura would glance up from time to time, watching him work as she scribbled down her own essay. She had begun to think about what Ino had said earlier on how this whole meeting with Sasuke was a date. She wasn't liking herself thinking like that, like Ino, but she was. She was not on a date with Sasuke. However, one of the many definitions of the word date is a social engagement with a person of the opposite sex. A social engagement could mean anything including a help session on a assignment.

But what if this was a date, like a really full blown date? There was no way for her to be completely sure unless she asked him and she didn't want to do that. If it wasn't a date, she would only embarass herself in front of Sasuke and possibly ruin their friendship. Then again, if this was a date and she didn't know it, she would embarass Sasuke for letting him think that they were on one. She felt like she had to say something, but she wasn't quite sure what it was yet.

Sasuke put down his pencil and stretched in the cafe chair. When he arched his back, his shirt lifted and unknowingly exposed his toned stomach to Sakura. Her eyes drifted to the exposed spot and she blushed lightly. Then she shook her head to clear her mind of the thoughts that followed after.

"Hello, earth to Sakura," Sasuke pronounced somewhat loudly. "I asked you a question."

"Oh sorry, my mind seems to be wandering off," she quickly replied. "What was it that you wanted?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to grab a quick bite to eat since it is getting close to dinner time and we are already out," he explained. "I know my parents wouldn't care if I missed a family meal, but what about yours?"

Well that was unexpected. Sakura had only planned on doing a little bit of her easy with Sasuke, not eat out with him. Once again the thought of this engagement as a date rose up in her mind. Then again, it was just a quick bit to eat. Girls and boys did that as friends all the time. This did not mean a thing. She lifted a finger and pulled out her phone to text her mother. Within minutes, her mother sent a reply and Sakura was grateful that her mother knew how to text fast on her cellphone. A smile tugged at Sakura's lips.

"It won't be a problem with them," she said. "Where would you like to go?"

Now it was Sasuke's turn to smirk. "I have an idea."

The two of them rose from their table and went to their separate cars. Sakura followed Sasuke's beat-up car down the road to a some what busy fast food chain. While they waited in line to place their orders, Sakura felt very surprised.

"Huh."

Sasuke gave her a curious look.

"I did not think that you, Sasuke Uchiha, ate anything like fast food," Sakura explained. "I mean, at school all I see you eat is all this organic stuff that you bring from home."

"I rarely eat fast food," was his reply. "And to be honest, as a dancer, I thought for sure that you were going to object once we got into the parking lot."

"Hey," she exclaimed, poking his chest. "Just because a dancer has to watch what she eats does not mean that they don't like fast food. I personally love a good cheeseburger when I can get one."

He just smirked and turned to the cashier to place his order. Once both of them had received their food, they looked around for a spot to sit at. However, the resturant was extremely busy and every seat was taken. Suddenly coming up with a solution, Sasuke lead Sakura outside and they sat on the trunk of Sakura's car since it looked like it could hold both of their weight much better. As they ate, Sakura began to laugh.

"I can't believe that we are eating cheeseburgers outside in forty degree weather on top of my car," she said to him.

"If you do things that you're not used to doing and you enjoy it, you'll end up having a happier life," Sasuke said. "At least, that's what I think."

Sakura grinned. "It's a good theory and I never thought about it like that."

"Hn."

They returned to silence as they finished up their meals. Sakura began to think as she chewed her food. She had enjoyed her afternoon with Sasuke. In fact, it had been the most time she has spent with him in awhile and she liked it. Maybe she could get him to do this with her again sometime, once again just as friends. They could help each other out. Although it seemed like a good idea, she wasn't sure that he would want to hang out again. She felt a little bit gutsy on the idea.

"Sasuke, I have a proposition for you," she started and he stopped eating to listen. "Maybe we could do this again. I could help you with more of the english assignment or another subject and you could do the same with another subject with me. I know for a fact that you are better at math than I am. We could even meet in different places or alternate between houses."

He didn't say anything and looked up at the darkening sky. Sakura began to sink into herself with regret. He was going to say no and she felt like an idiot for asking.

"It's just a suggestion, we don't have to do it," she expanded on her thought.

"Actually, it seems like a reasonable idea," he told her, making her face brighten. "We could raise our grades and attempt to make it possible to exempt finals for this semester."

"So you'll do it?"

"Yeah."

Sasuke hopped off the trunk of her car and dusted his pants off.

"Well, I gotta go," he said. "I'll meet you tomorrow at my house for that math problem you seem to be having. See you later Sakura."

He waved at her and drove off leaving a very happy Sakura to think about what she had just done.

* * *

**Author's Note:** No real fluffy stuff yet, but its coming. Okay the multiple intelligence test that Sakura was talking about is really cool. I learned about them the same way Sakura did. I'm going to put a website below that you can go to so that if you want to know more, you can read about it and find out what your multiple intelligences are. And that thing with Sakura's mom picking out her clothes, I wished my mom could do that. Surprisingly, its my dad that does. Its not really weird or anything, he just knows what I like more than my mother. Anyway, I think I'm going to update on Tuesdays from now on. I hope you liked the chapter and please review. :)

literacyworks dot com/ mi


	5. Chase You Down

**Author's Note:** I know that it's not Tuesday, but I couldn't wait to update the next chapter. And I know that I said that Tuesdays were my updating days, but I changed my mind. From now on it will be Sundays. It's easier for me if I do it that way. Anyway, here is the next chapter. Please enjoy and review.

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 5:

**Chase You Down**

_"Complacency is lost for now  
But I'll never doubt you  
'Cause all I do is wonder how  
I could be without you anywhere at all  
And I'd run to find you anywhere at all"_

_~"Chase You Down" Making April~_

* * *

It was the beginning of February, the snow had dissolved. but the temperature was still cold. Sakura and Sasuke had been meeting for their help sessions for awhile now and showed some improvement in their grades. Sakura was particularly happy about the meetings since she could finally understand the math the Kakashi had been trying to put inside her head for the longest time after the beginning of the semester. However, she still had trouble.

Kakashi strode around the room handing out the results of the latest quiz. He was known to give brutual quizzes and his students were glad that he hadn't declared for a test yet. The tests were absolute torture, more painful than pulling a tooth. Although he was sadistic with tests, Kakashi was one of the laziest teachers at Konoha High. He took forever to grade papers and someone always had to remind him to collect homework assignments. Then again, students were quite gratefully when he would forget about homework. It would give them extra time to finish the assignment.

The lax teacher stood in front of Sakura's desk and placed her quiz face down gently. He didn't say anything, just slightly shook his head and walked away to his next victim. Taking a deep breath, Sakura flipped the paper over and her heart sunk. In bright red ink, a number at the top of the paper told her that she had failed. Kakashi had also gone so far to place a sad smiley face next to it. She didn't understand. Two days ago, Sasuke had explained how to do the entire math chapter to her. It made sense to her when Sasuke taught it to her. Now that she had seen that she had lost that knowledge, she became extremely discouraged about her mathmatic ability.

The dismisal bell rang overhead and Sakura left the room with her math book pressed tightly against her. She made her way down the hall and opened her locker to look for the book to her next class. As she was about to reach for her history book, the locker door slammed shut and she was lucky that it hadn't closed on her hand. Ino was now right in her face, leaning against the locker with a curious glance.

"Why didn't you tell me?" the blonde said randomly. "I thought we were friends Sakura."

"Oh, hello Ino. Nice to see you too," Sakura replied.

"Sakura, the point of being best friends is to tell each other everything," Ino explained, moving so that Sakura could reopen the locker.

Rummaging inside for her book, Sakura countered, "You do know that I have no idea what you're talking about right?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "I called your house last night and you weren't there."

Sakura chuckled and shut the locker door.

"Well excuse me for not telling you where I am every waking moment," she said and began walking to her next class.

Ino hurried to catch up beside her. "Listen Forehead, your mom told me where you were. Why didn't you tell me that you and Sasuke had been hanging out together?"

Sakura stopped in her tracks and mentally smacked herself in the forehead. She completely forgot to tell Ino about that and felt horrible about it. They always tell each other everything. Now that her mother had told Ino where Sakura was, it was like an arrow to Ino's heart for not being told. Then absolute horror overcame her. Sasuke did not want anyone to know where he lived because of his adoring fans. Sakura's mother had told Ino where she was and Ino, being the number one gossip queen in the school now knew. Just how much did Sakura's mother tell Ino? Hopefully she hadn't mentioned an address or the fact that they were neighbors. Sasuke would kill her if that sort of information got out.

"I guess it just slipped my mind," Sakura put out a reasonable response.

Ino just wrinkled her nose. "Just like you forgot to tell me that you know where he lives?"

She got Sakura there. Of course that was one thing that she couldn't tell Ino. Sasuke liked his privacy.

"I can't tell you his address Ino, I'm sorry," Sakura apologized.

"And why not?"

Sakura narrowed her emerald eyes. "You know why."

"I'm not going to tell anyone! Come on Sakura!" Ino pouted, putting on a quivering lip and sad eyes. "Don't you trust me?"

"Konoha's number one gossip queen? I don't think so."

"What about for Sakura's number one best friend?" the blonde asked.

Now Sakura felt really bad. She couldn't tell Ino, she just couldn't. If it got out where Sasuke lives, then the friendship that Sasuke and Sakura shared would be shattered. However, if Ino promised to keep this hidden like her life depended on it, then perhaps Sakura could mention the fact that Sasuke was her neighbor. Only if Ino was extremely quiet about though.

Sakura sighed, "Do you promise to keep your mouth shut?"

Ino shook her head excitedly and dragged the rosette over to a secluded corner so that the secret would remain secret. Sakura cupped her hand around Ino's ear and whispered into it, "He's my neighbor."

Her friend's eyes grew wide and she started to jump up and down.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "So you see him pretty much everyday!"

Sakura put her hand over Ino's mouth, hushing her.

"Lower your voice Ino," Sakura hissed. "Sasuke fangirls would love to know this information. And yes, I see him everyday."

Ino swooned, "It's so romantic! He's the guy that all the girls want and here you are, the girl next door, as his primary love interest. It's such a classic love story."

Sakura rolled her eyes. " For the last time Ino: we're not dating."

"You're going to meet him today aren't you?" Ino said, completely ignoring Sakura's last comment. Before the rosette could answer, she added, "What are you going to wear? Hopefully something cute like that dark blue shirt dress. You're so beautiful in that dress."

"It's too cold for that dress, plus I want to be comfortable," Sakura explained, beginning to once again walk to class.

"You're considering it now aren't you? I see that look in your eyes," Ino said, walking with her. "It wouldn't be a problem whether or not its too cold since you can walk right next door in a few seconds."

Sakura did not answer her friend and waved good-bye to her as she entered her next class. Ino stood in the doorway, hand on her hip.

"I bet you will wear it," she yelled into the classroom, turning some heads. "Cause now you really want to."

* * *

Despite her best efforts to decide against it, Sakura wore the dress. Ever since Ino mentioned it, she couldn't get it out of her mind. She hated how she let herself be talked into the dress, but there was nothing she could do at the moment. Now, she stood at Sasuke's front door shaking in her boots from the cold, waiting for him to answer the door. After a minute or two of waiting, he let her in and took her coat. The Uchiha home looked like an everyday home except for the inconspicuous expensive items that Mrs. Uchiha tastefully placed around in rooms. The Uchihas had money; they just didn't like to exccessfully show it. Sakura followed Sasuke into their usuall study spot in the living room and sat inbetween the coffee table and couch. Sasuke sat on the other side and arranged his books in front of him.

"What would you like to work on first?" Sasuke asked, flipping open his book.

"I was thinking that we could go over what I did wrong on my last quiz," she said sheepishly.

He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. Sakura slid lower against the couch at her back and turned a little bit pink.

"How bad?" he asked in a deep plain voice.

She didn't answer him, but repeating mumbled, "Um, well um."

Opening her shoulderbag, she slowly reached inside and pulled out the quiz. She glanced at it only to tightly hold it against her chest. She gave Sasuke a nervous look and burrowed in shame.

"Come on, let me see it," he told her.

"Well, why don't I just tell you what I think I need to work on instead of you looking at my paper?" she suggested, hoping that he wouldn't become too interested in her quiz.

Her attempt to have her grade remain hidden, failed as he went to her side to grab the quiz. He reached out for it only to have Sakura turn her back on him. Grunting, he leaned down above her and tried once again to grab the paper. She looked up at the last minute and squealed when she saw his hand reaching down. The rosette scrambled to her feet and moved to the archway in the hall.

"Just give me the paper Sakura," Sasuke stated coming towards her. "I'm not going to be mad at you or anything. Let me see it."

Just as he was close enough to touch her, Sakura bolted into a run. It may have seemed silly to be so against having someone see her paper, but there was no way in hell that Sakura was going to let Sasuke have it. The grade on the paper was terrible meaning that all that hard work both of them did was a complete bust. He told her that he wouldn't be mad at her, but Sakura knew that he would at least be disappointed. She definitely didn't want to see him with a chagrin expression at her. So she did the first thing that came to mind, she ran.

She didn't know the lay-out of the Uchiha household very well, but she knew enough to were she could go. Upon entering the kitchen, she was especially careful on the tile floor. She had removed her shoes at the front door and was wearing tights that made glossy surfaces beyond slippery. Sakura was about to enter the next room, but Sasuke turned the corner right about when she did. He smirked, casually walking towards her. Pivoting her feet, the rosette dashed back the way she came only to trip on the tile floor. She cursed in an excited tone and composed herself before beginning to run again.

Sakura could hear Sasuke's footsteps behind her and she knew that it would only be a matter of time before he really started kicking up speed. He was toying with her right now and it was starting to become amusing. She went to the stairs, running up them with all the speed she could muster. She turned around to see Sasuke staring at her from the bottom. Sticking her tongue out, she told him that he would never get the paper and he would soon get to bored of running after her. He shook his head and ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Sakura shrieked and made her way down the upper floor.

This was part of the house that she hadn't seen before and sadly it wasn't as large as the first floor. There weren't many places for her to go. She saw a run at the end of the hall and decided to go for it. If it wasn't the bathroom, she could find a good hiding spot in there and then sneak past Sasuke after he had searched the room. She opened the door, pushing it wide enough for her to sneak into. She cringed when she heard what came after.

"Sakura!" Sasuke shouted.

Sakura turned around and her eyes widen. Sasuke dove right at her and now they were both falling. It happened in slow motion. Sakura watched as the hallway that had once been in her sights now became the ceiling of an unknown room. Her captor's arms were around her, pushing her towards the floor. When they landed, Sakura's head hit the carpet hard and her body was heavy. Sasuke was on top of her, squishing her bottom with his weight. Her face was red from the shock of the fall and where Sasuke was. His head rested on her chest and moved whenever she took a breath. He lifted his head and stared right at her.

Never has Sakura seen the look on Sasuke's face like she did now. His eyes were large and his cheeks a soft pink. He was acting like he was embarrassed. Their faces were almost close enough to touch. He looked at her in a way that she couldn't quite understand. It was even weirder to her that she felt like she was doing the same thing. Then he did the unthinkable. He leaned down closer to her as if he was about to kiss her.

"I do believe that there is a better room for that Sasuke," a voice stated. "Than my room."

The two teens looked up to see Sasuke's older brother looking down at them. Sakura had forgotten that Sasuke's brother, Itachi, was home from college this week. He glanced at the two of them with extreme annoyance. Sakura's face was no redder than her hair. How embarrassing it was to be in the position she was in while being in front of her friend's older brother. Even more embarrassing that the friend happened to be a boy and he had landed in a peculiar spot on her. She shoved Sasuke off her and made her way downstairs. Sasuke followed behind her, telling her that he was sorry for what happened and that she should stay. She paid no attention to him and grabbed her shoulder bag and placed her coat around her. As she began to open up the front door, Sasuke caught her by the shoulder.

"Sakura, I really am sor-," he was cut off by Sakura placing a finger on his lips.

"I'm sorry to run out on you Sasuke," she told him. "But I need go."

With that said, Sakura left the house leaving a very confused Sasuke behind.

* * *

**Author's Note:**And the interactions will keep on coming after this. I spent a good deal of yesterday planning what I want to do with this story. I have a few good things planned and I hope you will like it when it comes time for me to present the events I plan on writing. Also, I'm going to set up a playlist on this website so that you can go and listen to the songs that are featured in Neighbors. Once I get a chance to do that, I'll put up a link on my profile page so that you can access it. And again, I hope you like the chapter and please review. :)


	6. Calling You

**Author's Note:** It's not Sunday I know, but I have somethings I need to do Sunday and I decided to post this earlier just in case if I couldn't then. If I'm lucky Sunday, I'll post another chapter. Anyway, enjoy it and please review. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 6:

**Calling You**

_"There's something that I can't quite explain  
I'm so in love with you..."_

_~"Calling You" Blue October~_

* * *

Sasuke holds his cellphone to his ear and waits. On the other end, the phone rings ,but no one appears to be picking up. Once the ringing stops, Sasuke thinks that he is going to hear her voice enter his ear. An automated voice answers stating that _Sakura Haruno is not available at the moment _and _please leave a message after the beep_. He closes the phone with a sigh and flops backward onto his bed. He wants to talk to her, explain everything and to apologize for whatever he did. That is if he did anything at all.

If she had just let him see her quiz, then none of this would have happened. She said that she had done bad on it, but he wouldn't have been mad at her. He would of been slightly disappointed however. They had worked so hard on getting her to understand the math needed to succeed on the quiz. He would help her try harder next time if she would let him.

What happened in Itachi's room a few hours ago was an accident. He never meant to make her fall or land on top of her. The one thing that he couldn't quite explain is what occurred when he was above her. Her hips had moved underneath him and struck up a weird feeling in him. And when he realized how close their faces were, he had leaned forward. Why did he lean? There was no reason for him to do so. It was like he felt like he had to kiss her right there. Of course he didn't have feelings for Sakura. There was just no way. They were strictly friends and neighbors. He was not in love with her.

Or was he? He remembered watching her dance in the dance studio at school, how beautiful she looked. At Casydi's when he couldn't quite keep himself calm at the sight of her. Then what had happened today. She was stunning in the blue dress she wore and how he felt like he had to kiss her. He had to admit, Sakura was attractive. However, did that mean that he was interested in her? His head was so mixed up and confused right now that he was having trouble thinking. He needed to push all this nonsense to the side and apologize to Sakura again. If he didn't, he believed that they would always be awkward around each other. Sasuke decided that he should try calling her again.

He dialed her number again and listened for the click that meant that she was going to answer him. However, he got her messaging machine. Grumbling, he looked at her number in his call log. He had called her at least seven times since she left. Why wasn't she answering him or at least calling him back? Sasuke was about to try one more time, but he heard someone sigh in his room. He situated himself onto his elbows and saw his brother in the doorway. Itachi shook his head with disagreement and gave his brother a knowing look.

"If you keep calling her, she won't pick up," Itachi told him.

"And you know this how?" Sasuke asked. "Do you suddenly have mind reading powers and can get inside of Sakura's head? I doubt that."

The older Uchiha rolled his dark eyes. "You're an idiot and obviously naive when it comes to girls."

Sasuke sighed and plopped back onto his mattress, rubbing his temples.

"I hate to say it, but you're right," Sasuke said. "I want to explain everything to her, apologize for what happened, but she won't answer."

Itachi slid into the room and situated his back against the wall. He folded his arms and cleared his throat.

"Can you blame her?" he stated. "She was just embarrassed in front of her friend's older brother after being found in a very contemplating position. Plus you looked like you were about to kiss her and is probably confused why you were about to do so. Sakura is overwhelmed with what happened today and is more than likely trying to understand not only your actions, but also her own feelings towards you."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and rose a dark brow. "Her feelings towards me?"

Itachi strode forward and knocked his fist lightly against his brother's forehead.

"Did you not see the look in her eyes as you leaned down to 'kiss' her or was it just me?" Itachi said. "If you've had kissed her, she more than likely would have returned it."

Now in an upright sitting position, Sasuke looked at his brother in bewilderment. He wasn't surprised that Itachi knew a bit about women. His brother has had his share of the opposite sex, but did this truly mean that he was suddenly an expert about them? All this about Sakura having some sort of feeling for him and even his own uncertain feelings were overloading in his brain. He needed time to clear it all up. But first, he still had to apologize to Sakura again. He flipped out his phone again, preparing to try one last time to contact her.  
"You're in love with her," Itachi spoke with a smirk out of the blue.

Sasuke's fingers became still, hovering over the first digital to Sakura's number. "No I'm not."

His older brother laughed, "You can't stop trying to get a hold of her. Your face lights up whenever to talk to me about her or when you hear her name. And more importantly, there is a fierce blush growing on your face."

A pillow flew out towards Itachi and he duck just in time to have it soar over his head. He looked at Sasuke who looked ready to throw another one at him. The older brother clicked his tongue against his teeth.

"Now that's just childish Sasuke," he said costing him to have a new pillow thrown at him.

"You can leave now," Sasuke hissed at him.

Itachi rose his hands up defensively and backed out of the room. He turned in the doorway before he left and stared at the cellphone in his brother's hands.

"Remember little brother, don't call her again. When she's ready, she'll call you."

As Itachi left, Sasuke stared at the cell phone's screen. It was blank, waiting for him to punch in the numbers. His brother's words seemed to make sense, but was it right? Was he in love with her? There was only one way for him to find out. Sasuke dialed Sakura's number again, awaiting for her voice to pick up on the other end.

* * *

In the house next door, Sakura lays on her bed and squeezes a pillow tightly against her chest. Her phone buzzes and she knows who it is. Letting it go once again to voice mail, Sakura snuggles her face into the pillow she is holding. Her mind slowly sinks back to what happened earlier and her heart flips. A tugging sensation pulls at her lips like its missing something and she puts her hand over her mouth to stop it. Sasuke was going to kiss her, it was a thought that she couldn't get out of her head. If his brother hadn't had spoken up about them being in his room, she was sure that Sasuke was going to go through with it. She wasn't sure what she was more confused about. The fact that he was going to do it or the thought that she was actually going to let him and perhaps even kiss him back.

Her mother walks into the room and sits down on the bed next to her. She rubs her daughter's back and sighs.

"How many times has he called now?" her mother asked.

"Eight," Sakura says into her pillow. "Can't he take a hint that I don't want to talk to him right now?"

Mrs. Haruno chuckled, tucking a loose pink hair behind Sakura's ear.

"No he can't," was the response. "The question is: do you know why?"

The rosette shook her head and glances up at her mother. Her mom beams down at her and pats her head.

"He's afraid that he's going to lose you."

Sakura snorts and is now sitting up. She crosses her legs over one another and is facing her mother directly.

"That's absurd!" she proclaims. "He knows better than that. I'm still his friend. It's just that I'm well, I'm.."

"Confused?" Mrs. Haruno finishes for her. "Don't you think he's a bit too?"

Groaning, Sakura puts the pillow to her face. She knew where her mother was going with this. She was going to say that Sasuke had feelings for her that he wasn't quite sure of yet and more than likely Sakura had them too. Neither one of them didn't know if they wanted to act on them or if the feelings were really there. Sure Sakura was embarrassed at the Uchiha home, but that was not a reason to ignore Sasuke completely. Their friendship shouldn't be ruined just because of a little incident that they would eventually forget. And the confusing feelings that both were probably sharing would unravel themselves to what they truly meant in due time. Sakura's eyes grew wide and she smacked herself mentally in the forehead.

"How did you do that?" she asked her mother.

"Do what?"

"How did you get me to figure it out by myself so easily?" Sakura said. "It was like the answer was already there in my mind."

"I didn't do anything, you did it yourself," Mrs. Haruno stated with a grin. "I just gave you a little push that's all."

Then she took her daughter's hand and let her face fall into a serious expression.

"I do have one other thing to ask you though," she said. "And please don't get angry with me for asking, but do you like him? You know like really like him?"

Sakura removed her hand and stood up. She began to pace around her room, gripping her head with confusion.

"I-I don't know," she muttered, finally standing still. "I truly don't know. I mean, he's cute and can be nice sometimes, but I just don't know if I could do it."

"Be in a relationship with him you mean," her mother tried to clear up. "Why not? I think that you would have fun being together with him."

"I guess I'm afraid," Sakura retorted.

"Of what? That it'll go badly and ruin your friendship?" the older rosette stated. "Honey, there is no guarantee that it'll not work out. There is no way of knowing that for sure. If you really want to go out with him, go for it. And if you're good enough friends with him like you say that you are, then you'll more than likely stay friends."

"But what if we don't!" Sakura exclaimed. "Mom, that's what's worrying me the most. I don't want to put our friendship in jeopardy."

Mrs. Haruno sighs and gives her daughter a much needed hug. She pulls back, but keeps her daughter at arms length.

"Look, it's not like you have to decide right now if he's the guy for you. Trust me you have plenty of time for that," she says. "Call him back, let him apologize because that's probably why he's calling you. After that, call your friends to come over tomorrow and spend the night. They can give you a second and even a third opinion over what they think about the entire thing. Just remember that it is you that has to make the final decision."

Sakura gives her mother a weak smile. "Thanks mom."

Her mother pats her on the shoulder and leaves the room.

"Now call him back. The poor boy is probably being driven crazy by you not answering him," she yells out behind her.

Shaking her head at her mother's words, Sakura picks up her cellphone. She hesitantly dials his number and has butterflies in her stomach as it rings. After a while it stops and at first she is overwhelmed with nerves. The voice on the other end says, "Hello?"

She takes a deep breath and speaks clearly into the phone, "Hello, Sasuke? It's Sakura."

* * *

It's Saturday night and Sakura has surrounded herself with Ino, Tenten, and Hinata. They're sitting in Sakura's living room with the tv blaring and popcorn in several bowls around the room. Ino is painting Tenten's toe and fingernails a soft gold color. Sakura is on the couch with Hinata situated in front of her so that her long dark hair can be put into braids. The entire Sasuke situation has been explained to the other girls by Sakura and each one has their own take on it.

"So what happened when you finally decided to call him back?" Tenten asked, hand raised so that Ino can paint it.

"He apologized for falling on me and for the fact that I was embarassed in front of his brother," Sakura said. "He also said that he was sorry for not backing down when I refused to give him my quiz."

"And what about him almost kissing you? Did that come up?" Ino asked.

"Nope," Sakura responded, tightening one of the french braids she was doing in Hinata's hair. "I think that we're both a little bit unsure of what to say to each other about that. However, I think that he was trying to tell me something before I hung up."

"What?" the blonde probed, hoping to know more. "What did he say?"

"I was wondering, well kinda wondering, you know what never mind," Sakura recited from memory. "Something along the lines of that."

"He was trying to form the right words so that he could ask you out," Hinata said quietly. "He's a bit nervous and is trying to figure out if its okay for him to be asking you on a date."

Sakura just looked down on Hinata with amazement. She was expecting that sort of response from Ino not from someone so quiet and timid like Hinata. It made sense though. That's what he could of been trying to do, but there was no way to know for sure.

"It's plausible," Tenten said for Sakura, thinking the same exact thing. "Or he was trying to figure out if she was okay talking about the almost kiss incident."

Also a very good explanation for Sasuke's confusing words. There was a knock on the front door and Sakura's mother yelled for Sakura to go and get it. Grumbling that she had to go and open the door in her pajamas, she pulled a hoodie over her head to cover up the tank top underneath. Smoothing back her hair, Sakura opened the door. Sasuke stood right in front of her, his cheeks lightly lit with a pinkish hue. His hands were stuffed inside his coat pockets and was looking very unlike himself. He didn't make any direct eye contact with her, his feet shifting his weight from side to side.

"Sasuke? What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"I know that me being here is a surprise and all, but I had to ask you something," he said, not looking her in the eye.

"If you came here to apologize again, I already forgave you a hundred times," she said with a weak smile.

"It's not that and this may not seem like me at all at the moment, but," Sasuke responded. "Do you know that carnival thing that is coming next Saturday?"

The rosette nodded, leaning against the doorway with the door in her hand.

"Does it sound like fun to you?" he asked.

"Yeah, I-I suppose that it does," she muttered sheepishly. "Why?"

"Do you want to hang out on Saturday and go to it?"

Sakura couldn't believe her ears. If it wasn't for the doorway that she was leaning on, she would have fallen with disbelief. She gripped the door in her hands with support.

"Sure, I mean of course I would love to go," she told him.

This time Sasuke looked her deep in the eye. He almost seemed surprised that she had actually accepted his offer.

"Good, I-I mean I'll pick you up at four," he stuttered and then waving good-bye.

Sakura closed the door once he left and leaned against it. Sasuke Uchiha had stuttered at her. At her! This was the most unbelievable thing ever. She walked back into the living room to her awaiting friends and sat back in the couch with a shocked look. Her friends surrounded her, asking what had happened and she blinked with a small smile.

"Sasuke just asked me out on a date."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hohoho, Sasuke asked her out on a date. Should make the next chapter sort of interesting. For some reason, I feel like Sasuke's a bit awkward here although he should be a little awkward since he is asking her out on a date for the very first time. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. I placed the link to the playlist for this story on my profile and will add this chapter's song to it eventually. Once again, please review. :)


	7. I Must Belong Somewhere

**Author's Note:** New chapter,yay! Please enjoy it and review if you like it. I will place the song used in this chapter on the playlist on my profile page. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 7:

**I Must Belong Somewhere**

_"Let the painted horse on the carousel remain  
Because everything, it must belong somewhere..."_

_~"I Must Belong Somewhere" by Bright Eyes~_

* * *

She was jittery all over for the rest of the week. When Saturday came around, her stomach filled with butterflies that refused to go away. Sakura stood in front of the full length mirror in her room, twisting her body around to check herself out. Turning around, she looked at her clock. It was three thirty. In the next half hour, Sasuke would be picking her up for their first date. Just thinking about those words made her sick to her stomach with nerves. Sakura took several deep breaths to calm herself down and zipped up her green hoodie so that it was snug against her body. She glanced at the mirror again and decided that she needed to do her hair again.

Lifting a handful of hair into the air, the rosette tried to decided what she felt like doing with it. Sighing at the sight of it, she let it drop back around her shoulders and rolled curlers into it. After unrolling them, Sakura sprayed hairspray over the soft waves. She was now satisfied with what her reflection looked like and headed downstairs. Her mother was waiting by the front door and in her hand was a camera. Mrs. Haruno snapped a photo of her daughter and proceeded to take another one until Sakura stopped her by placing her hand in front of the lens.

"Come on Sakura, just one more picture?" her mother asked. "Or better yet, I can take one of you and Sasuke together. Wouldn't that be cute?"

Sakura rolled her emerald eyes. "No because I won't let you take anymore when Sasuke gets here."

Camera at her hip, her mother replied,"Then who will document this moment for you? Plus since your father is away, shouldn't he be able to see what his only child has been up to while his gone?"

Of course Sakura wanted her father to be in the loop. It was just hard to keep him updated with him being gone a lot. His job required him to travel quite a bit and he when he travels, it's usually for a very long time. His current business trip was taking him a month and a half so far. Sakura didn't know when he was going to return, but she missed his presence in her house. However, her father was quite protective of her. She wasn't to date anyone that he didn't approve of first. Sakura was taking a risk going out with Sasuke before asking her father first. Then again, she had once heard him say that he thought that "the Uchiha kid" had a good head on his shoulders and was fated for greater things even though he had only talked to Sasuke maybe twice. Sakura was willing to go ahead with the date despite the objects her father might have if he was there.

"Do you think that dad would be okay with this? I mean, both of us haven't told him yet," Sakura said.

Mrs. Haruno wrapped her arm around her daughter's shoulders and gave her a quick squeeze. "I'll talk to him on the phone about it later. Meanwhile, go out and have fun with Sasuke, okay?"

As the rosette nodded, the doorbell rang and she went over to open it. On the other side, Sasuke stood with his car keys dangling on his fingers. It took everything inside Sakura to keep herself from gasping. He looked beyond handsome despite his casual attire. In his hands was a bouquet of gardenias. It was something that Sakura didn't expect from Sasuke, but she appreciated them entirely. The aroma from the flowers entered her nose and she smiled as she touched their soft petals. Sasuke watched her face become pleasureable and looked away at the last second when she lifted her head to speak to him. His cheeks turned a slight pinkish color as he stared carelessly at the bush by the doorway outside.

"You didn't have to get me flowers," Sakura told him. "But I do love them a lot. Thank you."

"Hn."

Sakura wrinkled her nose in response to his one word reply to her. Either he was embarassed or simply didn't think that she was telling him the truth. To show him that she truly did like his gift, she quickly went into the kitchen and came back emptyhanded. Sasuke glanced over in her direction and she gestured towards her head. Behind her right ear was one of the gardenias whose white petals went nice against her pink hair. He smirked which she returned. Sakura looked back at her mother. She could tell that she was dying to take some pictures of the two teens.

"What time do you want me home by?" Sakura asked.

"Eleven sounds good, be home by then and remember to call me if you find out that your going to be late," her mother instructed. "Now go and have fun you two, eat some cotton candy for me."

Chuckling at her mother, Sakura began to exit the house with Sasuke leading the way. As they were almost at Sasuke's car, Mrs. Haruno called out, "Wait a minute guys!"

The two teens turned around and were engulfed by the flash of a camera. They rubbed their eyes to clear away the burning of the bright light and Sakura gave her mother a dirty look. Mrs. Haruno smiled, looking down at the image on the camera. Satisfied, she waved good-bye to them and went back inside the house. The couple did not say a word to each other and got into Sasuke's car to leave for the carnival.

* * *

It took them about an hour to reach the fairgrounds for the carnival. The drive was tedious and silent mostly because neither one of them could figure out what to say to one another. However, the ride was worth it because the carnival was beautiful. Sakura found herself surrounded by bright colorful lights and cheerful carny music. Kids ran around with their parents in tow, either with balloons in the hands or a large helping of pink cotton candy. There were games and rides like any ordinary carnival would have. Sakura was particuarily interested in the carousel.

She looked to her side, hoping to see what Sasuke thought of this whole thing. His lips were pursed in a thin line with his hands in his pockets. He looked unsure of what do to, like the whole carnival was some huge puzzle that he couldn't quite figure out. The young Uchiha was out of his element and he knew it. Sakura found it sort of sweet that he would take her some place that he knew she would like rather than himself. Even though this was not something he would like to be doing, Sakura was determined to help Sasuke have fun on his date with her.

To her left was a ball-throwing game. Knowing that Sasuke was on the baseball team, Sakura led him over there. She placed three dollars down for the both of them and waited for the worker to come back with a few balls.

"I bet that I can hit more of those milk bottles than you can," she told Sasuke.

He laughed, or did something that sounded like a laugh.

"You want to go up against Konoha's best pitcher?" he said with a raised brow. "There is no way that this will end well for you."

"Then let's make it interesting," Sakura proposed. "If I win, we do something I want. If you win, then you can pick. Sound fair?"

Sasuke picked up one of the balls that the carny worker brought back for them and played with it in his hand.

"Sounds fair," he replied and then took aim to a set of milk bottles, knocking them all down with one shot.

Sakura gaped at his amazing ability and then realized that he was grinning at her with superiority. Snorting, she lifted a ball and tried her luck at the game. She hit all, but one however Sasuke thought that her throw was somewhat impressive. They took turns throwing the balls until they ran out. In the end, Sasuke won like he said he would and was presented with a prize. He held the overstuffed panda in his hands and looked at it with curiousity. Then he handed it over to Sakura.

"Congrats, you just won a panda," he told her.

She held it in her arms the best she could since it did almost out-size her by a few inches. Her fingers could barely touch so that she could better hold her new prize. It began to slip multiple times and Sakura found it difficult to keep it still against her side. The entire time she was doing this, Sasuke was smirking at her. In his head, he chuckled at how much trouble she was having. Finally, he took it back from her and said that he would put it in his car for her so that she wouldn't have to cart it around the carnival for the rest of their stay. She watched him make his way through a sea of people and decided to look around.

Sakura had no intention of wandering off too far because she did want Sasuke to find her when he came back. The rosette stayed within the area and walked around. Feeling kind of hungry, she went up to a vender and bought some funnel cake. She sat at a picnic table and stuck a piece of funnel cake into her mouth. It was warm, suggesting that it was freshly made and the confectioner's sugar sprinkled on top dissolved on her tongue. If someone was to walk by her right then, they could tell that she was enjoying her treat because of the wide grin on her face.

Sasuke came back a moment later, taking his time to find his date who had indeed wandered off. He found her at the picnic table and sat down across from her. The young man didn't say anything, only watched her eat her food. She tore off a piece and handed it towards him, but he shook his head and pushed her hand back.

"I don't eat sweets," he explained.

"Why not?" Sakura asked. "They're yummy and sweet. Plus they always make me happy when I eat them."

"I just don't like to eat them Sakura," Sasuke said. "Go ahead and finish it."

Taking the piece that he had rejected, Sakura dusted off the sugar on top. She blew away any that remained and presented it back to him.

"Now try it," she said with a grin. "It's a little sweet, but since the bulk of the sugar is gone it should be alright."

A little wary of the treat, Sasuke took hold of the piece of funnel cake. She studied his face as he placed the cake in his mouth and chewed. He swallowed, furrowing his brow. Sakura was at the edge of her seat, waiting.

"It's not that bad," he retorted.

Relief overcame her and Sakura began to dust off more of the sugar so that he could share the funnel cake with her. They finished it within minutes and started walking around. It was Sasuke's turn to pick what to do since he did win at the game they played. However, nothing seemed to interest him yet, so they continued walking. Ever so often their fingers would brush past each other, a sensation of touch electrifying their nerves. They would apologize for getting so close and look away like nothing had happened. The two of them came up to the carousel, the line for it getting longer by the second.

"You want to go on the carousel?" Sakura asked Sasuke as he dug through his pockets for some money to pay for a ticket. "It's your turn to pick whatever you want, we don't have to go on this."

"But you do," he explained. "I saw you staring at it when we first got here. You want to go on it, so I will take you."

Sakura was speechless yet Sasuke seemed to know what she was thinking. He smirked and turned his back to her as he paid. Playing with her hands, Sakura looked at the ground with a blush. He was doing all these things for her. Like she had hoped, the date was going well. Sasuke came back with two tickets in hand and gestured that they move towards the carousel. It was then that Sakura did something she didn't expect to do. She reached out for his hand, engulfing it with her own. His hands were a lot bigger than hers and were firm in her grasp. She felt his fingers tug away for a brief second at the shock of her touch, then soften when they realized who held them. Slowly, his hand tightened around hers and allowed himself to be led towards the carousel. The rosette looked around for a pair of artifical horses that were side by side, but could not find any. However, there was one open horse. The two teens looked at it, trying to decided how to ride it.

"You ride it Sakura, I'll stand beside you," Sasuke suggested.

_Figures_. Sakura thought. _He didn't want to ride on the carousel anyway._

Then Sakura came up with another idea. Although it sounded good in her head, she wasn't sure how Sasuke would like it.

"You can always sit behind me," she told him sheepishly.

"Both of us can't fit on it Sakura," he reminded her.

"Oh, right," she half-heartedly chuckled, feeling kind of stupid for even suggesting such a thing.

Sasuke sighed and climbed up onto the horse. He then held out his hand to her.

"Get on my lap," he said.

Sakura hesitated for a moment and then took his hand. He lifted her up so that her legs dangled off the side and her back was supported by his right arm. The carousel began to move and the horse started to go up and down. Lights flickered around them as cheery music played as the attraction ride spun. Sakura gripped the pole that held the horse and did not realize that Sasuke's other arm had slipped around her waist to hold onto her. She was enjoying herself immensely with the soft breeze that picked up from the spinning and just being on the ride itself. Turning around, she looked at Sasuke. He wasn't paying any attention to the ride he was on and was staring off into space. Sakura observed the features of his face was the lights ran across them and noticed that his other arm was around her.

They were so close to each other now. The last time they were this close, Sasuke had fallen on top of her. It didn't feel right then, but now there was something that felt different about their closeness. She liked how it felt to be near him and to have him hold her. Was it love? She didn't know for sure yet, however what she did know was that there was something about him that she liked.

Sasuke then looked at her, perhaps after feeling like someone was watching him. Sakura never noticed the speckles of dark brown in his eyes before. It brought color to not only his eyes, but to his face as well. He looked the happiest she had seen him in a long time. Curious to why she was staring at him, he rose a dark brow. Sakura simply grinned, touching her head to see if the flower in her hair had fallen out from the breeze. When she felt the flower begin to slip out from behind her ear, she rushed to hold it steady. At the same time, Sasuke had reached for the flower as well and their fingers once again touched. As her cheeks turned pink, Sakura gazed back up at Sasuke only to see that he had something close to a smile tugging on his lips.

* * *

Sasuke parked his car on his driveway with only a few minutes left before Sakura's curfew. After the carousel, they had played some more games (he mostly watched her trying her hand at them) and went on a few other rides. With a couple of hours to spare, Sakura had suggested that they go out to get a quick bite to eat before he had to take her home. They found a nice and thankfully cheap sit-down resturant to eat at. They talked with Sakura doing most of it and discovered that time had flown by. Now they sat completely still in his car, the car creaking after being used more often then it was used to. Finally, Sakura opened her door and stepped out. She glanced back into the car, turning her attention towards the back seat and grimanced.

"Do you mind helping me get that over-stuffed panda to my house?" she asked him.

He nodded, reaching behind him and pulling the bear out of the car. Single-handedly, he carried the bear at his side and followed Sakura to her house next door. He waited for her to open her front door and observed her from behind. He had noticed on the carousel that Sakura had a certain scent to her. Sasuke wasn't sure whether or not the smell came from the flower she wore or not, but he had found himself enthralled by it. And there was something about her hair, the silkiness of it and the shine that bounced off from light illuminating it. He wanted to run his fingers through her rosy locks and to then have his fingers graze against her cheeks just to see the sparkle in her eyes when his fingers touched her. Suddenly, Sasuke shook his head, hoping to rid himself of the thoughts that entered his mind.

Sakura gave him a quizzing look and took the bear from it. She set it down by the door inside and leaned against the doorway with a smile.

"Well, I had fun tonight," she told him. "Thanks for taking me Sasuke."

"Hn," was all that he could get out.

_Damn, why can't I speak?_ He thought to himself.

It was so unlike him to be unable to let words flow out of his mouth. He reminded calm through the entire situation even though his mind was becoming chaotic.

"We should do it again," Sakura said.

"Yes,we should," Sasuke finally was able to say.

"So, I guess I'll see you Monday morning?" she asked, knowing that they always saw each other in the morning.

He nodded and was about to turn away when he realized something. Was he supposed to kiss her good-night or was there a rule about that with first dates? He had never really thought about it before. What would she think if he kissed her right then and there? He didn't know if she felt the same way he did although he wasn't sure what he was feeling at the moment. And if he was to kiss her, was it to be on the cheek or on the lips? But what if she rejected the kiss? Their friendship would be awkward if there was even a friendship left after that. However, he now felt that he had to kiss her good night not only because it seemed gentlemanly, but because he wanted to.

Sasuke came up closer to Sakura, his hands stuffed in his pockets. She looked up at him with her dazzling green eyes and he knew that he had to do it then. He leaned down and gave her a swift kiss on the lips. Pulling away, Sasuke could feel his heart pounded against his ribcage. He pivoted to head back towards his house.

"Good night Sakura," he said in a strange tone unknown to him.

"Night Sasuke," she said softly, gribbing the doorway.

He went back to his house unaware that Sakura was now touching her lips were he had kissed her and blushing.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Aww, their first kiss. Well, I haven't really planned out the next chapter yet, but for some reason I have the rest of the story completely lined out. However, next week is Spring Break for me and I plan on taking full advantage of it. I will think about the next chapter during next week, but I will not be able to update on Sunday. Even though I won't be able to update then, I will update next Sunday so hopefully the next chapter will be really good since I will have two weeks to do it. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter and please review. :)


	8. GreenEyed Monster

**Author's Note:** Back from my break and ready to get down to business concerning Neighbors. Hope you enjoy the chapter and please review.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 8:

**Green-Eyed Monster**

_"Don't feed the monster  
Wasting time comparing  
Losing time despairing  
I hear it..."_

_~"Green-Eyed Monster" by Corrinne May_

* * *

Ino listened intently as Sakura explained her first date with Sasuke to their lunch table. Hinata and Tenten leaned in closer so that they wouldn't miss a single detail. Ino just sat there with a smirk on her face. She was glad that Sakura had finally gone out with Sasuke. It was obvious that the two harbored feelings for each other despite the claim from the rosette that the couple weren't that serious yet. Ino was thrilled that she could see this relationship beginning to bloom and felt like she had some part in it. Sakura was living the typically girl next-door love story, something that Ino had wished upon herself, but was glad that her best friend was experiencing it. When Sakura extended her story with her first kiss, the other three girls practically squealed. Their friend was with the one boy that most girls at the school wanted to be with and had even been kissed by him. It was absolutely unbelieveable and overly exciting.

However, there was something else that Ino felt inside her. It was a feeling that was not the happiness that she thought would be the bulk of her emotions at the moment. Every word that Sakura spoke, every syllable, Ino grew a shade of green. Never did Ino think that she would feel this way towards Sakura or at least to this extreme. Sure there were times that she was envious of Sakura's ability to do well in school and dance. But because of a boy? It was completely absurd. When Ino first started dating Shikamaru back in freshman year, Ino and Sakura made a deal with one another. If either of them got a boyfriend, they would never let him get in the way of their friendship. It seemed like the deal was struck so long ago, but it still held value even if Ino felt like it was fading on her end.

Why wasn't Shikamaru more like Sasuke? It was a question that the blonde had asked herself many times before and hated to think about it since she did love Shikamaru very much. Everytime she would say that, she would think about the things about him that she didn't like for instances his laziness and smoking habit. Perhaps the one thing that bothered her the most about Shikamaru was his tendency to run to Temari's side whenever he and Ino would break up. She had liked Temari at one point, meeting her at on of Sakura's dance recital-thingys three years ago. They hung out for a bit and sometimes even Shikamaru would come along. What Ino didn't know at the time was that Shikamaru and Temari were hanging around behind her back. That was the cause of the first break-up between Ino and her boyfriend. Matters only got worst when he quickly started dating the other blonde. Despite the break up, they got back together only because Shikamaru told her that he was tired of Temari's attitude.

Their break-ups became a cycle that didn't seem to want to stop after she first got back together with him. Ino never knew why she would always take Shikamaru back after each break-up, but she knew one thing for sure. When she was with him, he was always kind to her and would listen to what she had to say most of the time. His kisses always conjured butterflies in her stomach and a sense of love in her heart. Knowing that she had some say in her relationship, Ino just wanted Shikamaru to make up his mind. Who did he want more? Temari or her? For now she would let her relationship run its course and when the time for them to part ways once again came up, she would tell him to make a choice. She did not want to have to go through this cycle any longer.

Feeling a bit depressed over the Shikamaru issue, Ino decided to perk herself up with the month's coming dates.

"So," she began, getting the table's attention on her. "Who knows what's happening next week?"

The other three girls shook their heads. Ino sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on people! Don't any of you look at your calendars anymore?" Ino exclaimed.

The girls just stared at Ino, trying to figure out what she was talking about.

"Hello it's February," she said. "And what's in February?"

Hinata was the one to figure it out. "V-valentine's Day?"

Ino hugged the shy girl next to her with relief and then put a wide grin on her lips.

"Now I know that I will be getting something for Valentine's Day from my loving boyfriend," Ino stated, stretching the syablles with the word loving. "And Sakura is more than likely going to be getting something from Sasuke unless he forgets."

"Hey, he won't forget," Sakura objected, blushing slightly. "It's not like he doesn't know what month it is."

"Geez Sakura, I was just kidding," the blonde retorted. Then she looked to the other two. "You two on the other hand need to get valentines from someone. I propose that I help find you one."

Hinata became a bright red and Tenten frowned.

"Who says that we don't have a Valentine?" Tenten said, folding her arms.

Ino's blue eyes grew wide. "Are you saying that you have a boyfriend Tenten?"

The brunette didn't say anything, only tilted her head to the side and smiled. Sakura and Ino gasped, shouting, "What?!"

Tenten chuckled as Ino said, "Why didn't you tell us?! We're your friends!"

"So who's the lucky guy?" Sakura asked, interrupting Ino's rant.

Although the two girls kept asking her who it was, Tenten never uttered a word. It was like she refused to tell them who he was. The girls couldn't figure out why she didn't want them to know his name. It was Hinata that spoke up.

"I-it's my cousin," she told the other two girls, much to Tenten's dismay.

Sakura and Ino's mouths dropped open. Neji Hyuuga a lacrosse player just like Tenten and perhaps had a fan following almost as big as Sasuke's. He was quiet and intellegent. His long hair could make any girl jealous and his eyes were a beautiful light violet color if you could ever get close enough to see them. However, Ino and Sakura soon came to the conclusion that they weren't all that surprised. Tenten and Neji were close friends already, maybe abnormally close. The fact that Hinata knew wasn't that much of a surprise either. Neji did live with his cousin since his parents had passed away a few years ago.

"Hinata!" Tenten exclaimed. "It was supposed to be a secret!"

"Why?" Ino asked. Then she curled her mouth into a sneaky grin,"Are you ashamed of being with him or something?"

Tenten shook her head. "We just don't want the publicity. If some girls at this school found out that we were dating, then I might get mauled."

Sakura and Ino told her that they understood the point she was getting at. It would be a nunsance to have to watch your back every couple of seconds just to be sure that a fan girl didn't attack you out of jealousy. The idea made Sakura become silent with then added that she and Neji were thinking about eliminating the private factor when prom was the come around. Meanwhile, Ino put her eyes on Hinata who slumbed her shoulders to escape Ino's gaze. The blonde put her arm around the shy girl's shoulders and gave them a little squeeze.

"Now all we have to do it find you a Valentine for next week," Ino told her.

"O-oh you d-don't have to do that, really," Hinata stuttered.

"Of course we do," Ino said. "And I know the perfect guy for you! Naruto."

Sakura and Tenten snorted from across the table and Ino frowned at them. The two girls apologized after they stopped laughing.

"Ino, you can't be serious," Tenten stated, wiping a comical tear from her eye.

"Tenten's right. I may be one of Naruto's friends, but I know how he is," Sakura pointed out. "He's a nice guy, but he can be so dense sometimes."

"But Hinata likes him," Ino said. The young Hyuuga began to disagree, but the blonde could see the pink on her cheeks. Ino added, "Hinata, it's obvious that you like him although he may not know it. I've seen the looks you give him in the hall and how you can't utter a single sentence around him."

"Ino," Hinata said waryly. "I don't k-know about this."

"Oh, it'll be fun," Ino said with much enthusiasm. "Plus Sakura and Tenten will help us get him to notice you just in time for Valentine's Day. Won't you guys?"

It wasn't really a question to be answered negatively. Sakura and Tenten simply nodded which made Ino smile. The blonde gave Hinata another squeeze around her shoulders and leaned in close towards the other girls. She was determined to make this Hinata's best Valentine's Day and to give her the guy of her dreams. Ino only hoped that when the day of love came around, she would fell the same happiness that she was working to get Hinata to have.

Ino cleared her throat and said, "Now here's what we're going to do."

* * *

Sakura stuffed her ballet shoes into her bag and tossed the bag over her shoulder along with her bookbag. She strode across the school's dance studio, a flash of multiple Sakuras moving in the mirrors. As she reached the door, someone called her name. Pivoting on her foot, she saw that her dance teacher Ms. Kurenai was making her way towards her. The rosette shifted her bags weight on her body and waited for her teacher to catch up to her.

"I'm glad that you're still here Sakura," Kurenai said. "There is something that I wanted to discuss with you."

"What about?" Sakura asked.

"I wanted to inform you about the dates for the dance scholarship that you are currently working for," Kurenai explained.

Sakura listened to her dance teacher go through minor details before revealing the important dates of the scholarship. The dance scholarship started out as a contest. High school dance programs from around the country got together to have their best students perform for college money. There was a preliminary dance contest that ranked the top five dancers before moving on to the main dancing event. At the main event, the top two received scholarship money. Sakura would be fine getting up to the top five however, she wanted the five thousand dollar first prize. She needed it if she ever wanted to pay for nursing school.

Then Kurenai announced the two most important dates of Sakura's highschool dancing career.

"The preliminary will the week after spring break in April on Friday," Kurenai stated. "The main event will be the first full week of May also on a Friday. So be sure to mark these dates on your calender."

"Of course, thanks for telling me," Sakura replied.

Kurenai gave her student a brief hug and smiled. "I'm counting on you Sakura. You're the best dancer I have seen since I have started teaching here. Now go on and have a good rest of the week. I'll see you tomorrow."

Her teacher waved goodbye and Sakura made her way out into the student parking lot. The rosette had been contemplating an issue since the discussion she and her friends had during lunch.

_"We just don't want the publicity. If some girls at this school found out that we were dating, then I might get mauled."_

What Tenten had said made perfect sense. Sasuke was well-liked by the opposite sex just as much as Neji plus he and Sakura hadn't announced their current relationship status to the school population. The thought had never crossed either of their minds yet.

_Well, why would it have? We've only been out on one date._ Sakura thought to herself. _Not to mention the fact that I'm still a bit dazed from that kiss he gave me. That sweet, wonderful kiss-..._

Sakura shook the thought from her mind and made herself focus on what truly mattered at the moment. She didn't want their relationship to be public, at least not yet. Another thought wavered into her head that caused her to finally make up her mind. People knew where she lived, the highschool bus stopped at the house before hers and she has rode it many times during her freshman and sophmore year. If they knew where she lived, then they could easily figure out where Sasuke lived. Sakura didn't want Sasuke's peace to be disturbed, so she decided that she had to tell him that they should stay a secret.

Luckily, she didn't have to wait to tell him for so long. As she made her way towards her car, she noticed him standing against it. She had completely forgotten that she had driven him to school this morning. Smirking as she got closer to him, the rosette blushed slightly as she remembered the kiss they shared during the weekend. He sort of grinned back and leaned down to kiss her. She would have let him do it until she remembered where they were. His lips were ceased by her fingers pressing themselves against them and she sheepishly smiled. He just stared at her curiously as she got into her car as he did so himself. It was only until she started driving that he decided to ask her about the rejection, but before he could do so, she explained it herself.

"I think that we should keep our relationship a secret," she told him. "Just for a little bit."

"Why?" he asked, staring at the road ahead.

"Well, I figured that with the fan base that you have, they'll probably be all over us," Sakura explained. "Look, I know that it sounds weird, but it'll help keep where you live a better kept secret. I know how much that matters to you."

"It makes sense and I guess if you're willing to do it, then I am too," he said. "And when do you feel like telling everybody?"

"Does prom sound good to you?"

Sasuke nodded. "Then we can wait till prom."

They came to a red light and Sakura reached over to Sasuke's side of the car to give him a peck on the cheek. When the light turned green, Sakura accellerated the car as Sasuke touched his cheek.

"Oh, so it's okay to so affection now," Sasuke aberrantly japed.

"We were in a public place before," Sakura clarified. "Someone could have seen us and then our cover would be blown."

"I see," Sasuke said in response.

The car was silent after that, both teens thinking about what they had just agreed on. Then Sakura remembered something that she was told at lunch. She cleared her throat to get Sasuke's attention.

"I have a favor to ask of you," the rosette said. "Concerning a shared friend."

Sasuke rose a brow. "About Naruto? What could you possible need the dobe for?"

Sakura glanced at him and smiled. "We're going to get Naruto and Hinata together."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thought I start the chapter with a different point of view besides Sakura and Sasuke for once. There will be more chapters like that in the future. Next chapter should be interesting with Naruto actually making more of an appearance. There will also be more of a SakuSasu moment as well. So I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review. :)


	9. NRRRD GRRRL

**Author's Note:** It's Sunday and you all know what that means. Enjoy the new chapter everyone and please review. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 9

**NRRRD GRRRL**

_"She might seem shy in person, it's no lie  
She's always nervous  
But the verdict is she's worth it..."_

_~" NRRRD GRRRL" by MC CHRIS~_

_  
_

* * *

Primping the sweater worn over the dress the girl in front of her was wearing, Sakura stepped back and gave Hinata the once over. The girl looked stunning in the clothes that Ino let them borrow. Sakura pouted her lip, looking for anything else that needed her attention. Lifting some of Hinata's long hair so that it framed her face, Sakura combed the girl's bangs with her fingers. She smiled and let the Hyuuga look at herself in the mirror. The reaction on Hinata's face alerted Sakura to the fact that the other girl liked how she looked. Linking arms with Hinata, the rosette ushered her towards her car outside. As they drove, Sakura noticed Hinata tugging at the clothes she wore as if they were making her uncomfortable. Sakura reached over to stop Hinata from messing with them.

"If you keep doing that," Sakura said. "Then it'll get messed up and wrinkled."

"I realize that Sakura," Hinata replied. "But why does Ino own such itchy clothing?"

Sakura chuckled. "They're not itchy, you're just nervous about this little scheme we put together."

Hinata didn't say anything else and hid her redden face by looking at the road. The plan to get Hinata and Naruto together was rather simple. The girls decided that the two would have dinner together and would then go see a movie. All Hinata had to do was display some of that Hyuuga charm that is, if she could get over her nerves. Knowing that Hinata probably wouldn't feel comfortable doing this by herself, Sakura opted to go with her and dragging a reluctant Sasuke along for the ride. Sasuke would bring Naruto to the restaurant, unknown to the fact that he was on a double date. Then they would all go to the movie theater, making sure that Naruto would have no choice , but to sit next to Hinata. If the plan came out a success, then Naruto might want to see Hinata again. And if it failed, then there was always a Plan B.

The girls pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant of choice for the date. Sakura looked around for either Sasuke's or Naruto's car. Seeing that neither car was there, she gestured for Hinata to follow her into the building. They got a booth for four and sat down to wait for the guys to get there. Sakura pulled out a compact mirror and out of boredom, checked to see if her makeup was okay. Putting it down, she noticed that the young Hyuuga in front of her was nervously twiddling her fingers. She was breathing heavily, the red on her cheeks that had developed in the car never went away and was intensifying. Sakura said her name, but the other girl was simply too nervous to answer. Sighing, Sakura snapped her fingers in Hinata's face and the girl jolted in respond. She then looked away like she was ashamed.

"It's okay to be nervous," Sakura told her. "I mean, everyone is nervous on their first date."

"How c-can this be a first date if one p-person doesn't even know that he's o-on a date?" Hinata asked.

"Good point," Sakura took into consideration. Then she smiled. "How 'bout I show you some techniques to help calm your nerves?"

"That would be great."

The first thing that Sakura did was switch their drinks; Hinata's soda replaced with Sakura's water.

"Caffeine heightens anxiety, so stay clear of it if you start to feel nervous," Sakura started off. "Next, take a deep breaths or mentally count to ten. These will help focus you and relieve any tension."

Hinata nodded, listening to everything that Sakura was saying.

"Finally, smile and laugh more," Sakura explained with a large grin. "It puts you into a good mood and helps you forget that you're nervous."

Hinata smiled. "Thank you Sakura. I'll be sure to try these things that you suggested."

"Looks like you're doing it already," Sakura pointed out.

The shy girl slightly snickered, "Looks like it."

A waiter came over asking if they were ready to order and Sakura told him politely that they were still waiting for their friends to arrive. He said that he would be back later and the girls started talking. They first discussed what movie they thought they were going to see. Sakura had put Sasuke in charge of choosing the movie. By allowing him to choose the movie, it was in a way a test. If he picked the right one, then it meant that he knew what Sakura wanted to see. And since Sakura was having a friend join them at the movies, it was also somewhat of a test to see if he knew what both girls wanted to watch.

The door of the restaurant opened and Sakura strained her neck to see who had walked in. She didn't have to wait long to find out. It was impossible not to hear Naruto's loud mouth. When he and Sasuke came into view, Sakura waved them over to their booth. Before they got there, the rosette turned to Hinata.

"Okay," she whispered quickly. "It's show time Hinata. Remember those calming techniques I told you about and you'll be fine. Also, don't be afraid to strike up a conversation with him. Ready? Here they come."

Sasuke slid into the booth next to Sakura and she greeted him with a peck on the cheek. Hinata gulped as Naruto sat next to her. She scooted a little closer to the wall next to the booth, but found out that she was still really close to the blonde. The table was silent despite the noise of the other restaurant customers around them. Sakura decided to break the silence for Hinata's benefit.

"So, what movie are we going to see guys?" she asked both Naruto and Sasuke.

Sasuke smirked like he's been asked the same question over a million times before. Naruto narrowed his glance on Sasuke and pouted.

"Teme has refused to tell me," Naruto grunted. "No matter how many times I have asked him."

"Well, I'm sure that it'll be a good one," she responded. "So Hinata and I were discussing the types movies that we liked before you guys got here. Hinata was wondering what movies you like Naruto."

The rosette looked to the shy girl and saw that she wasn't really paying attention. Sakura gently kicked her underneath the table and subtly nodded her head towards Naruto.

Hinata turned pink and mentally counted to ten before asking, "Y-yes Naruto, w-what movies do y-you like?"

Naruto scrunched up his nose as he thought. Then he turned to her and smiled.

"Well, I guess anything actiony is good enough for me," he said. "A good scary movie once and awhile is also nice. What about you?"

"O-oh, I could never s-sit through a s-scary movie," Hinata stuttered. "T-they're too s-scary for me."

"They're not scary if you really think about it," Naruto assured her. "If you think about it, what are the chances of anything in the movie actually happening in real life. You know what? If you saw a scary movie with me, I could prove it to you that they're not bad at all. It's just the sound of the music and the acting in the scenes."

"Oh, okay N-naruto," Hinata said.

Sakura watched the two interact for a little bit and turned to talk to Sasuke. She whispered into his ear, "You're not taking us to a scary movie are you?"

Sasuke smirked. "Hn."

"You better not be," she told him.

"Why? You too scared to go to one?" he asked.

She swatted his arm playfully. "Not at all. Hey look, here comes our waiter."

Their waiter took their orders and came back in thirty minutes later with the food. As Hinata sipped the soup she had asked for, Sakura wondered why she wasn't talking to Naruto more. If she wanted to be with Naruto, Hinata was going to have to talk to him more so that they knew each other better. To remind her of her task, Sakura kicked her again. Unfortunately, she hadn't realized the force of her kick. Hinata jerked forward after receiving the blow and her spoon, full of soup, dribbled over her. The soup left a large spot on the white sweater she was borrowing from Ino. Hinata looked up at Sakura who had her hand over her mouth in shock. Both knew that if Ino knew that this had happen, she would skin them alive. Hinata could feel the stain start to seep in further and knew that she had to take off the sweater. She really didn't want to, being self-conscious about herself. The dress underneath the sweater had thin straps and somewhat of a low heart-shaped neckline. Hinata wasn't comfortable showing that much skin. Well, that and it was also a bit chilly in the restaurant and outside.

Not wanting to ruin the dress as well, Hinata removed the sweater. Sakura held out her hand, stating that she'll do what she could to remove the stain. Meanwhile, Hinata wrapped her arms in front of her chest out of embarrassment. The air conditioning in the restaurant then kicked up and it was suddenly colder. Mentally pleading with the air conditioner to turn off, Hinata rubbed her arms to get warmer. A hand tapped her bare shoulder and she practically jumped. Naruto chuckled at her side and held up his jacket towards her. She simply stared at it, as if she was dumbfounded to why he was handing this to her. Then it became clear. He was telling her to use it. She slipped it over her shoulders, the jacket still radiating the body heat after it had been used by its previous owner. Hinata blushed and bashfully thanked him.

Sakura watched them the entire time. She could have sworn that Naruto was blushing as well.

* * *

After leaving the restaurant and arriving at the theater, Sasuke had finally revealed his movie choice: A Murder at the Lake House. It was supposed to be the scariest movie out there, or at least that's what the trailer said. He knew that Sakura wasn't too fond of going to this movie and after listening in on Hinata's conversation with Naruto, he knew Hinata was definitely not going to be into this. However, there was a reason to why he had chosen this movie in particular. He wasn't stupid and had heard enough from other friends that if you take a girl to a scary movie, they will more than likely cling onto you when they get scared. If this theory was true, then Hinata would cling onto Naruto and Sakura's plan would soon become a success.

Naruto had once told Sasuke that he was somewhat interested in the Hyuuga girl, but wasn't sure about if he wanted to pursue her. It only made Sasuke's and even Sakura's job easier by mentioning this.

Sasuke made himself comfortable in the movie theater seat with Sakura by his side. Hinata was next to her and like Sakura wanted, Naruto was seating with a nervous Hinata. Sasuke had chosen the end seat to prevent Naruto from sitting next to him. The lights in the theater dimmed and the screen began to play the movie. When the first suspenseful scene came on the screen, the audience jumped. Sasuke noticed that Sakura had wrapped her arm around his and squeezed it as she turned away from the movie. With his free arm, he caressed her shoulder to tell her it was okay to look again. However, whenever he did this, another scary part of the movie would come on and she would be back against him him again.

"I hate you for this," she said into his shoulder, after seeing another scene.

"You'll thank me later," he told her and nudged her to look beside her.

She did so and saw Hinata covering her eyes with her hands. Naruto extended his arm over her shoulder and guided her to his side. The shy girl did not seem to care that his arm was around her or for the fact that she was creating a sanctuary with his upper body. When the scene ended, Naruto whispered something to Hinata and she peeked through her fingers to watch the rest of the movie again. Sasuke saw Sakura smile at this and laid his arm over her shoulder to pull in her.

"It's working," she said softly. "It's a miracle."

"Hn," was all that Sasuke said.

The movie ended about an hour or so later and the four of them walked outside. They stood outside the theater in two separate groups, both talking about the movie. Sasuke was only half listening to what Naruto was telling him and almost missed the last bit that came out of the blonde's mouth.

"Sorry, what was that?" Sasuke asked.

"I think that I might want to see Hinata again," Naruto softly stated.

"Then why are you telling me?" Sasuke told him. "Tell her that."

And that he did. Sasuke watched as Naruto went over to the girls. As he talked to Hinata, Sakura looked over towards Sasuke and rose a slender brow. Sasuke smirked and the rosette's face lit up. The plan that she and the other girls had come up with worked.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hope you like the chapter. Now, next chapter will be the Valentine's Day chapter and should have some SakuSasu moments in it. Sasuke is supposed to be giving her something in that chapter and I'm unsure of what I want it to be. If you guys have any ideas, let me know. Also, I don't know if anyone really cares but last chapter's song couldn't be found on the website that the playlist is on. Look the song up on youtube or something if you want. And this chapter's song sort of goes with the chapter, but I thought that one part I put down at the beginning works. Anyway, once again I hope you like the chapter and please review. :)


	10. Mario Kart Love Song

**Author's Note: **New chapter, hip-hip hooray. Enjoy it and please review if you like it. :)

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 10:

**Mario Kart Love Song**

_"__No-one will touch us if we pick up a star_  
_And if you spin out, you can ride in my car_  
_When we slide together we generate sparks_  
_In our wheels and our hearts"_

_~"Mario Kart Love Song" by Sam Hart~_

* * *

Sakura awoke Sunday morning with much excitement. She and the rest of the female population had been waiting for this day since New Year's. Today was Valentine's Day. Normally, Sakura wouldn't care when the day of love came around, but now that she had a boyfriend, she felt jittery with curiosity of what he might have gotten her.

She got dressed and dug through her closet for the present she hidden for Sasuke. There was no point in hiding the gift, however, it felt more exciting and mysterious to have it kept hidden. Finding it, she tucked the small gift into her hoodie and headed over to Sasuke's house. As she crossed over onto his lawn and noticed that his parents were not at home. This was to be expected since they both worked a lot like her own father. She knocked on the front door, rubbing her hands to keep them warm while she waited. After a while the door swung open only to show that Itachi had answered to her knock. He smirked as she became flustered.

"Thought it was going to be Sasuke answering the door?" Itachi said, letting her in. "He's not the only one who lives here you know."

"I realized that," she muttered. "Is Sasuke here?"

Itachi nodded and pointed towards the ceiling. "He's upstairs. I'm afraid that he's not feeling well today."

Sakura frowned and twiddled her fingers.

"Oh, well I guess I'll go then," she said.

"Actually, it's good that you're here," Itachi told her. "I've been wanting to get out of the house and now that you're here, you can look after my brother while I'm gone."

"I guess I could stay for a little bit," Sakura replied.

The oldest Uchiha brother patted the girl on the shoulder and grabbed his coat off of the coat hanger by the door. He looked back to her before he closed the door.

"Thanks for doing this," he said. "I'll be back later. Sasuke should be sleeping."

Sakura waved as the door was shut closed and sighed. She removed her hoodie, placing on the coat hanger and quietly went upstairs with her gift in hand. Finding Sasuke's room, the rosette gripped the handle and slowly opened the door. It was dark inside with the exception of light that shone through the drawn curtains. Sasuke had his back to the window which allowed for the light to outline his body. As Sakura tiptoed closer to his bed, she could hear soft snores come out from under the covers. She placed her gift on his dresser and knelt beside the bed. Her hand brushed his bangs out of the way as she checked his temperature. His forehead was sweaty with a feverish warmth. Sasuke sniffed in his sleep and continued to snore.

Getting up, Sakura went into the Uchihas' hallway bathroom and came back into Sasuke's room with a small towel and another one slightly drenched with water. She gently ran the wet cloth across his forehead and then dried it up with the other one. She sat back and studied him. He looked paler than usual, possible uncomfortable with the sickness that had entered his body. Sakura wished that there was something more than she could do. Keeping him cool and comfortable was all that she could provide him for now. Biting her lip, Sakura leaned forward closer to her sleeping boyfriend's body. She was unsure if she should do what she was about to do.

Caressing his forehead softly with her fingers, Sakura placed a kiss onto his forehead and whispered for him to feel better. It was a sad yet sweet attempt to cure his illness and she had done so because her mother had done the same for her when she was little. The gesture had usually made her feel better back then, but she knew better than to rely on words and a simple kiss to make everything bad go away. Sasuke didn't stur and his girlfriend was grateful that he hadn't. He needed all the rest that he could get. Sakura rested her head on an open section on the bed and watched Sasuke sleep. He looked completely peaceful.

After a while, she had begun to feel sleepy. It didn't help that Sasuke's mattress was comfortable and the fact that it was dark in the room. Sakura yawned and let her eyes slow close. She was still awake, but she just didn't feel like forcing her eyes to stay open. She propped up her elbow in order to make herself a pillow for her head. As she laid there, it didn't take her long to realize that someone was combing their fingers through her hair. Her emerald eyes opened to see Sasuke staring at her through his tired eyes. His fingers did not stop what they were doing even after he noticed that she saw him.

"You're supposed to be sleeping," she said to him, not moving from where she was.

"I was and now I'm not," he replied back. "What are you doing here?"

"Itachi asked for me to stay while he went out for a bit," Sakura explained. "I had come over to give you your Valentine's day gift when he asked me."

"Ah."

Sakura stood up and went over to his dresser where his present was. Sasuke sat up in his bed, making room for her to sit down next to him. She placed a small, thin red box with a white bow in his hands and watched him open it. Inside was a cd case decorated with a piece of paper full of ridiculous drawings taped to the cover. He opened the case and read the writing on the cd.

"'Bands that you should learn to know'," he recited. "You think that I have a bad taste in music?"

Sakura laughed. "No, no, no. These are bands that I like and think that you will too. Besides, I like your taste in music. Who doesn't love the oldies once and awhile?"

"I see," he said. Sasuke gave her a peck on the cheek. "Thank you."

The rosette smiled and heard his stomach growl.

"Someone's hungry," she said. "When's the last time you ate?"

The Uchiha didn't say anything and Sakura shook her head disapprovingly.

"I know you're sick and everything, but that's no excuse to not eat," she told him roughly. "I'll be back in a minute with something for you to eat."

Sakura didn't let him refuse and quickly made her way down to the kitchen. She opened everything from the cabinets to the fridge in order to find food. One cabinet was especially helpful and from then on, everything seemed to be found with ease. She heated up a can of soup and soaked a tea bag in a cup of boiling water. Finding a tray in the closet sized pantry, Sakura took the food upstairs into Sasuke's room.

His lights were on and he stood at the door of his closet with his back to her. He didn't noticed her presence as he tugged on a shirt. The muscles in his back rippled in a way that made Sakura shiver. Gulping down the feels that were being to develop, Sakura announced her arrival into his room.

"I'm not really supposed to have food upstairs," Sasuke blatantly said, rummaging for something in his drawer.

"I think this is a good enough of an exception," Sakura retorted, placing the tray on the bed as she observed his room now that it was lit.

His walls were dark, though Sakura sort of expected that, and there were clothes cluttered on the floor. She noticed the shirt he had woren to the movie they had seen a couple of days ago. He even had a small tv against the wall in front of his bed with a video game console on the floor. It was a typical boy's room for the most part.

Sakura was so interested in looking at his room that she didn't see Sasuke hand something in front of her face. He made a noise with his throat and Sakura looked down. In his hand was an open black box with tiny sparkling emerald earrings. She took the box into her own hands with care and sat gently on his bed so that the tray wouldn't fall. Looking up at him, Sakura didn't know what to say.

"Sasuke, these are, what I mean is," she muttered, mixing up the many thoughts in her head. "These must be extremely expensive!"

Sasuke shrugged and smirked. "You're worth it."

"I would kiss you again if you weren't sick," she said.

"What do you mean again?" he asked her with a sly smile. "Sakura, what were you doing while I was sleeping?"

Sakura turned pink and in order to avoid the question, picked up the tray. "Here you go! Hot black tea and tomato soup for the hungry boy!"

"What? No chicken noodle soup like mom used to make?" he said sitting beside her as he took the tray.

"Vegetable soups are better for when you have a fever," she explained and picked up the spoon. "Now open up!"

Sasuke rose a slender brow. "You're going to feed me? Is that really necessary?"

"Absolutely," Sakura stated. "Come on Sasuke, open up for the choo-choo train!"

It took him a moment, but he finally relented and let her feed him his soup. She feed him to the point that the bowl was half empty and that he had enough. As he sipped his tea on his on accord, Sakura looked down to the game console on the floor. She had played video games before, but wasn't really good at them. Sasuke noticed her eyeing the console. He placed the food tray safely on the floor and turned on the game. He handed Sakura a controller and took one for himself.

"But I don't know how to play videogames that well," she told him.

"It's not that difficult to play Mario Kart Sakura," he said pulling her into him as he sat behind her. "Watch what I do with the controller and try to mimic it."

Sakura did as she was told and before she knew it, she was progressing with skill. Each round that they played, she was getting closer to beating Sasuke. She was so into the game that she had dismissed the fact that Sasuke had rested his chin on top of her head. The final race in the game was epic. She started off in third place, but moved ahead when she deployed a banana peel to the kart in front of her. Then she received the blue turtle shell. A device in the game so upsetting to the racer in first place, that it was often rarely given. She let the shell loose and cheered as it hit Sasuke's kart, spinning his player out of control. Her racer dashed across the finish line with ease.

"Ha! Take that Mario! Princess Peach just kicked your ass!" she shouted at the game, pointed her finger in a threatening manner at it.

"I think it's time we did something a bit more relaxing," Sasuke suggested. "Perhaps like watching tv for instance."

Sakura shrugged and let Sasuke turn off the game and select a show for them to watch. He then laid on his bed with his head against his pillow. Sakura laid next to him and watched the show playing. Soon there was a snoring sound and Sakura turned her head towards Sasuke. He had fallen asleep after being active for a couple of hours. Sakura peered at him with tremendous affection and pecked at a spot above his brow. She went over to the tv and turned it off along with the lights. As she closed the door, she whispered, "Sweet dreams."

* * *

Sakura closed the door to her own room after returning home when Itachi had finally come back to the Uchiha household. She sat on her bed to finish her homework when she decided to look at her cellphone. There was a text message from Ino on there that she had yet to read that had arrived a few hours ago. She clicked on the envelope on her phone and gasped that the message plastered on her screen. Closing it, she dialed Ino's number and wished for her friend to be quick to answer.

She felt terrbile for not replying to Ino's message sooner and was relieved when she heard the blonde say hello. However, there was the slight sound of sniffling on the other end and what could be a teary hiccup. The rosette was terrified that something bad had happened to her best friend and felt even worst.

"Ino, I'm so sorry for not calling you!" Sakura said into the phone. "You said that you feel miserable. What happened?"

Ino's voice cracked on the other end and it sounded like she had started to cry. In between sobs, she had finally said, "Oh Sakura, its just horrible. I don't understand."

"Ino, what's wrong?" Sakura asked. "What happen to you?"

"It's Shikamaru, Sakura," Ino cried. "He broke up with me and I don't know why."

"I'm sure that there is a perfectly good explanation for why he did Ino," Sakura told her.

"There isn't Sakura," Ino said, her voice becoming angry. "He just decided that he didn't want to be together anymore and let me go once again. I bet he's with Temari right as we speak."

"You don't know that for sure Ino."

"I know and that's the worst thing about it," Ino sighed on the other side of the phone. "Do you think that you can come over for a little bit?"

Sakura glanced down at her unfinished homework and shook her head. She really wanted to get her work done, but Ino needed her attention more at the moment.

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

* * *

**Author's Note:**Well, I think that was a bit cute. I like the song at the beginning of the chapter and when I heard it, I felt like I had to use it somewhere in my story. What better way then to have Sasuke and Sakura play video games together? Well, I hope you like the chapter and please review. See ya next sunday! :)


	11. Don't Go Soft

**Author's Note:** Happy Mother's Day everyone! Go out there and give your mother the hug that she deserves. On another note, new chapter up and ready for you guys to read. Enjoy it and please review. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 11:

**Don't Go Soft**

_"Barely a secret  
Rest in metal  
Anxiously  
Do sit and fix it  
Hope the lock fits with her key..."_

_~"Don't Go Soft" by The Vincent Black Shadow~_

* * *

Sakura arrived at Ino's as quickly as she could and hopped out of her car with haste. Her friend was emotionally hurting and she had to be there to comfort her. She held a pack of pre-made chocolate pudding under her arm and knocked on the door. After waiting a few seconds, a forlorn Ino peered from behind the door. Her beautiful blue eyes were now puffy and red with mascara running down her cheeks. She opened the door just wide enough for Sakura to enter her home. Sakura wrapped her arms around the shoulders of the blonde and let the girl cry against her. She rubbed her back, telling her that everything was going to be okay. Ino choked on a sob and pulled away from the rosette to wipe her eyes.

"You brought me pudding," Ino said, sounding sort of amused after spotting the treat. "You know me too well Sakura."

"Well, it is one of your favorite foods," Sakura repiled with a weak smile. "Why don't you get us some spoons and then we'll eat the entire pack."

Ino nodded and went into the kitchen with Sakura following her. They sat at the table and Sakura handed her a pudding cup after taking one for herself. Ino dug her spoon into the dessert, putting a huge spoonful into her mouth. Sakura watched her eat the whole cup before she reached for another one. As the blonde ate, Sakura played with her spoon in the pudding and bit her lip with thought.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Sakura asked, hoping Ino caught what she was talking about.

The spoon in Ino's pudding stopped moving and the girl looked down at the table. Her head then rested itself on her hand and her eyes became watery.

"He is the most annoying man in the world," Ino muttered. "I swear that the guy has no idea what he wants."

"What exactly happened Ino?" Sakura quizzed her.

Ino sighed and dropped her spoon onto the table.

"He came over to celebrate Valentine's Day with me," Ino began. "It was going pretty well and then he left to use the bathroom. He left his bag on the table and I noticed a pink envelope sticking out from it. I thought that it was a Valentine gift that he had yet to give me and I took it out. The envelope was already opened with Shikamaru's name scribbled on the front. I know I shouldn't have done this, but I removed the card inside and saw that it was from her!"

"Who? Temari?" Sakura asked.

"Of course Temari!" Ino practically shouted. "The witch gave my boyfriend a Valentine's Day card. To make things worst, the card said something along the lines of ' I think about you all the time and all the memories that we share' and ' We should get together again and talk.'"

"Um, Ino," Sakura said, feeling like she shouldn't say what she was about to say. "That doesn't sound like she wants to take him away from you. It just seems like she wants to hang out as friends."

The blonde snorted and narrowed her eyes. "I wasn't done, Sakura. After gagging over her x's and o's on her signature at the bottom, I saw that there was another envelope in his bag. This one was signed just for her. Do you know how horrible it feels when your boyfriend is talking to his ex without you knowing?"

The rosette shook her head, but continued to listen. Ino folded her arms around her chest to provide herself with comfort.

"He caught me looking at the cards when he came back and started to yell at me for snooping around his stuff," Ino went on. "When he said this, something went off inside me and I asked him which one of us he liked more. Shikamaru, the idiot that he is, was hesitant when the world knows he shouldn't be. I told him that I was done with him switching between Temari and me whenever he felt like it. He was going to have to choose which one of us he wanted more or else he was going to lose me."

"He would have lost you anyway if he had chosen Temari," Sakura said.

"That may be true, but I know that he likes us both to the point that it was going to be a tough choice," Ino explained. "However, as he was thinking about it, I told him that I love him. Of course I've told him this many times, but I thought that it would help my cause if I threw it in there on my benefit. If he loved me like I loved him, then it would have been an easy choice for him."

"It wasn't though," her pink-haired friend spoke.

The blonde shook her head and began to cry.

"No it wasn't," she cried. "Shikamaru picked up his bag and told me that he needed to think, that it would be best if we've spent some time apart. He tried to kiss me after that, of all things! So I slapped him and told him to get out of my house. I wish he could have told me right then and there which one of us he actually wanted more because not knowing is just killing me on the inside."

Sakura scooted her chair closer to her friend and placed her arm her shoulder with a reassuring gaze.

"Oh, Ino I'm so sorry," she said.

"I truly thought for a second that he was going to choose me," the blonde said, teary eyed. "I really wish he had. Despite him being the way he is, I can't help but love him sometimes."

With that said, Sakura sat there comforting her hurting friend and couldn't help, but notice something. Ino had told her on the phone that she had no idea why Shikamaru had broken up with her. Yet here Ino was, explaining what lead up to the break up in the first place. The girl had known why she and her boyfriend had split, but thought that it would be better to tell Sakura otherwise. Sakura just figured that Ino felt like the rosette wouldn't have come quicker to her aid if she had why the break-up had happened. It wouldn't have been true though. Sakura would have been there for Ino no matter what the reason. Ino was her best friend and they counted on each other to provide comfort in times of extreme distress. Sakura decided not to comment on the thought, feeling that it was better to just leave it alone.

Ino excused herself from the table and went into the bathroom for a tissue. Meanwhile, Sakura looked through the other messages on her phone as she waited. She saw that there was a message from her dance teacher, Kurenai, that said that they needed to talk on Monday about the dance scholarship contest. She made a mental note to remember what she had to do tomorrow and put her phone back into her pocket. Ino came back into the room with a small handful of tissues. Sitting back down at the table, she pulled back the plastic on another pudding cup and began to eat it.

"So," Ino said inbetween bites. "Besides the issues I've been having today, how was your Valentine's Day?"

Sakura sheepishly grinned. "It was nice. Sasuke was sick when I went over to see him, so I helped take care of him for a while. He gave me a pair of earrings and I made him a cd."

"Aw, very cute," Ino replied, probably repressing some feelings of resentment that her day had not gone just as planned. "So, have you said 'I love you' yet?"

For a moment, Sakura was silent. Neither Sasuke or herself had said those three words to each other yet. They had been going out for a few weeks and Sakura wasn't sure if their relationship had gotten to the point in which they could say "I love you". More importantly, if they could say it and truly mean it. She figured that when the time was right, she would tell Sasuke that she was in love with him. Hopefully, that would be around the same time that he would say it to her.

"No I haven't and neither has he," Sakura told Ino. "We're not quite there yet."

Ino snorted, "Oh please. You two obviously are attracted to each other, I'm surprised that you haven't ravaged him yet."

"Ino!" the rosette interjected.

"I'm just saying," was the response Ino gave her. "I'm guessing he's taking you to prom? It's coming up next month."

"I think that's he's-," Sakura started before she was interrupted.

"You mean you know that he's going to ask you," the blonde stated.

Sakura sighed and took another pudding cup for herself. "Fine, I know that he's going to ask me. You want to help me look for a dress?"

This seemed to brighten up Ino's spirits. If there was one thing that Ino loved, it was dress shopping. No matter what occasion, Ino was perhaps the best person to ask about dresses. It was a small gateway into the fashion world that the blonde hoped to one day enter as a designer. When Sakura asked her to help find a dress, she jumped up and down in her chair, clapping her hands together as she nodded.

"You know that I would love to!" she exclaimed. "Maybe we can go next week or the week after that. Oh, I'm getting so many ideas right now to what you can wear its unbelieveable!"

Sakura laughed, glad that she could make Ino's day a little bit better. Dress shopping sounded like fun and it was always a pleasure being Ino's dress-up doll. The outfits the girl could choose were endless.

"Well, I'm glad that I was of some service to you on your bad day," Sakura said, then eyeing the table. "But there is one thing still left unanswered."  
"What's that?" Ino asked.

"Who gets the last pudding cup?"

* * *

The next morning, Sakura went into the highschool's dance studio to find Kurenai before class. The message that her instructer had left said that she had some more information on the scholarship contest Sakura was in. Walking across the polished wooden dance floor, Sakura knocked on the office door of her teacher. Kurenai glanced up from her paperwork and gave Sakura a sympathic look. She shuffled the papers on her desk and asked for Sakura to sit down for a second.

"I'm afraid that I have some bad news," Kurenai said.

_Oh boy._ Sakura thought. _I hope it isn't too bad. _

"It's about the date for the preliminary dance," Kurenai went on explaining. "Apparently the committee that is giving away the scholarship has decided to change the date of the preliminary round."

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad," Sakura told her. "I'll be ready to kick butt in the contest whenever they decide to have the first round."

Kurenai chuckled at that comment, but went back to being serious.

"I'm glad to hear that, but you might not like the date that they have chosen," the teacher said. "The committee has decided to chose March twentith for the preliminary."

"March twentith!" Sakura exclaimed. "That's the night of prom!"

The dark haired teacher nodded. "Yes it is. If it was possible for us to debate over this issue, I would have. However, since all the schools in the area have their prom nights on different days, there isn't anything we can truly do to change it."

"I-I understand," Sakura stuttered, obviously disappointed.

She didn't want to miss prom, especially that she would be going with Sasuke. Senior prom was supposed to be the most magical night of a highschool girl's life. Why would Sakura ever want to miss such a night? On the other hand, she really needed that scholarship money. That and she had worked so hard to get where she was in her highschool dancing career that it would be pointless to let it all be thrown away. There had to be a way to do both.

Sakura thanked Kurenai for telling her what was going on and left the studio. As she walked to first period, she tried to figure out a plan concerning both prom and the scholarship. It was going to be difficult deciding which one mattered to her more.

* * *

**Author's Note:** And so the chapter ends. There's nothing that I really want to say here except that I do have the next two chapters planned out and let me tell you, something bad is going to happen. Hope that got you hooked for the next couple of weeks. If you enjoyed the chapter, that's great. Also, please review! :)

On another note: I do want to know if any of you are interested in Avatar. Not the blue-skinned people Avatar, but the one with Aang and Zuko, etc. I was thinking about writing something for it and was wondering if any of you like the show. I'll probably post it anyway, but I just thought about asking.

Edit: I believe the song used as the title is not on the website that I use for the playlist. However, it is on youtube so look it up when you have a chance.


	12. A Little Less Conversation

**Author's Note:** New chapter up and ready to go. The school year is just about over where I live and hopefully it is for you guys as well. I really want it to be summer right now. On another note, I hope you enjoy this chapter and please review. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 12:

**A Little Less Conversation**

_"A little less conversation, a little more action please  
All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me  
A little more bite and a little less bark  
A little less fight and a little more spark..."_

_~"A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis Presley~_

_

* * *

_

Weeks passed since Ino's break-up and to cheer herself up, she took Sakura dress shopping for the prom. It was supposed to take her mind off of Shikamaru since it had always worked before. However, there was an annoying tug at her heart everytime Sakura stepped out of the dressing room in a new gown. Her plan to erase Shikamaru from her mind was faltering quickly. Ino couldn't help, but think that she should be in the dressing room stall next to her friend in a dress of her own. She didn't want to go to prom, at least not anymore. Since Shikamaru was going to be her date and now that they were not together, she didn't see any point in going even though a part of her still wanted to go.

It sort of hurt; seeing her friend getting excited and dolled up for famed dance. It hurt more seeing the other girls in the store doing the exact same thing. Ino knew that she could go to the dance anyway. The break-up didn't restrict her from going. Then again, Ino felt like she would be a tad embarassed only because she wouldn't have a date and everyone would know of her recent relationship status. Ino was okay with publizicing a relationship, however, break-ups were better left private.

Sakura came out of the dressing room in a purple gown and stood in front of the tall mirror outside the dressing room. She turned from side to side, sighing as her shoulders dropped. She glanced at Ino's reflection in the mirror and asked, "Well, what do you think?"

Ino shook her head, walking up to her friend. She paced around her in a studious fashion and picked at the fabric of the dress. When she felt like she had an idea of what she thought of the dress, the blonde stood behind Sakura and stared at her through the mirror.

"It doesn't work well with your figure as well as I thought it would," Ino told her. "We're going for the bombshell look here with an addition of sophistication. Plus purple is more my color than it is yours."

The rosette rolled her eyes and went back into the dressing room. She peeked up from behind the door as she changed and said, "I still don't understand why you don't want to go to prom."

"I just don't feel like going," Ino explained, lying through her teeth. Sakura tossed the dress she was wearing over the door that hide her from Ino and the blonde placed the dress back on a hanger for the store employees to take back to the rack.

"But you can go with friends! We can make prom a group thing. It'll be fun," Sakura pleaded with Ino.

Ino picked up another dress and gently handed it to Sakura to try on. "Thanks for the offer, but after everything that happened with Shikamaru, I don't really want to go anymore."

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked. "I know that Sasuke wouldn't mind you joining us. Naruto, Hinata, Tenten, and even Neji would be okay with us making a group."

The blonde left out a haughty laugh.

"And be the third wheel along with being the only one without a date? I don't think so," Ino stated. "Really Sakura, I'll be fine. You should go and have a good time ALONE with your boyfriend. It should be fun since you're supposed to expose yourself as a couple to the entire student population."

The door to the dressing room came ajar and the rosette peeked out from the other side. She grimanced as she thought about what Ino had just said and closed the door again to zip up the dress she was trying on. Ino weakly smiled at her friend's reaction and crossed her arms across her chest, tapping her fingers against her arm with impatience.

"What? Are you having second thoughts about letting everyone at school know you're a couple?" she asked. "You know you don't have to do it if you want to."

Sakura's head popped up from behind the door, saying, "I am not having second thoughts, I want people to know about us. It's the part about his enormous female following finding out that he's not available anymore that bothers me. Girls can be vicious."

_Don't I know it._ Ino thought to herself. She beckoned for the rosette to come out in the new dress for her to see. The door creaked open and out came Sakura. The sleeve-less dress she came out in clug to her body and cascaded to the floor in a ruffled train. Sakura held the back of the light green dress with her hand and spun around slowly for Ino to see the entire thing. There was no denying it. This was to be Sakura's prom dress. The blonde ushered her friend towards the mirror so that she could better see how Ino saw her. Sakura held back a gasp, but Ino could read the excitement sketched across her face.

"Of course you'll need to wear a necklace with it so that it closes up the empty space around your upper chest area," Ino explained. "And maybe a matching bracelet to give a little flair on your arms. Other than that, you look incredible."

"Thank you Ino," the rosette said as she hugged the blonde. "Thank so much for finding this dress for me. I wouldn't have been able to wear it if it wasn't for you."

Ino rolled her eyes at the compliment and grinned. She let Sakura go back into the dressing room so that she could get back into her normal clothes. The prom dress needed to be altered a bit if it was to fit Sakura better. The girl couldn't spend the entire prom night holding onto the back of her dress if it wasn't fixed. Ino decided that she would fix the dress for her friend and give it back to her the night before prom. It was the least she could do, giving her friend the night of her life since her own had been somewhat destroyed. The pained thought of the break-up came back into her head for a bit.

"So," Ino said as she waited for Sakura to pay for the dress. "You're going to skip the dance contest and go to the prom instead?"

Ino had never seen Sakura spin around so fast.

"I would never miss the contest," she exclaimed. "I've worked to hard to let that go. Why would you think that?"

"Well, you are buying the dress for prom which happens to be on the same day as your dance contest thing."

Sakura didn't say anything and continued to pay for the dress. Ino's jaw dropped open when she saw the determined look in her friend's eye.

"You're going to go to both of them?" Ino almost shouted, earning a hush from one of the saleswomen in the store. "Sakura, you can't be serious!"

The rosette chuckled and hung the paid for dress over her arm gently.

"I'm completely serious," she explained. "Look, I have a plan alright. I'll go to the contest first since it doesn't last for very long and starts way before the prom. Once it's over, I'll change into my dress at the contest and then drive over to where the prom is being held before it ends."

"And Sasuke is okay with this?" Ino asked, giving her friend a concerned look.

Sakura nodded. "Yep, he said he'll go to prom late and wait out front for me."

_How sweet._ Ino thought and then said, "I really hope it works Sakura. I truly hope so."

* * *

The night of the prom and dance competition was very hectic for Sakura. She had forgotten her prom shoes and had to go back for them, making her a little late for the competition. Luckily she wasn't the first to go on and had time to get ready before she had to. Kurenai was backstage with Sakura the entire time. She helped Sakura with her hair as she recited some last minute tips for the routine. The wait was terrifying, the thought of messing up ran constantly through Sakura's mind. It was one of the reasons why she hated being last. They finally called out Sakura's name and then the butterflies invaded the rosette's stomache. This was it, the first step towards winning the money that'll help put Sakura through nursing school in the future. If she screwed this up, it would be devastating.

Sakura came out onto a darken stage and posed in the starting position. The stage lights then flashed on, almost blinding her. The crowd hushed and the music started up. The song was fast; Kurenai thought that it might give Sakura an edge with the judges if she did so since it was a lot more difficult to perform. Also, it was a song that was not commonly used and was a lot more modern then what the previous dancers had been using.

Sakura slightly shook her hips to the beat, having her feet step out in front of her one at a time. Hands connecting above her in a circular form, she swaggered and swooped them around her. Then she let her body go, all the moves she had memerized coming together perfectly in the dance. She never missed a beat and even added in face expressions just to see if it would help her chances. There were a few times that she actually sang along with the music, well mouthed the words to be exact; she was a better dancer than she was a singer.

The ending of the song was drawing near and this was to be the cherry on top for Sakura's performance. She balanced herself on one foot and curled her other foot underneath her like a flamenco. Arms out to the side, she shimmed carefully down to the floor as she moved her hips and hands to the beat. As she rose back up, she pivoted her foot so that she could launch herself to the side for a jump. Back arched and arms spread out like wings, she landed with precision and spun a few times on the tip of her toes.

The last bar of the song played through her ears and Sakura ran across the stage into a leap. She moved her body into a spin and held her breath as the floor came closer. One misstep and she would fall, ruining her dance routine. Her fears vanished when she hit the floor without having her foot slip or wrongly placed. To lessen the momentium used in the jump, she pivoted her foot so that she could circle around in place with one foot raised. Roughly placing her airbourne foot on the ground in front of her, Sakura posed to finish her dance and smiled.

Applause rang out from the audience watching her and she could see the judges nodding in approval as they wrote down their scores for her performance. The rosette bowed and waved to the crowd. She felt so relieved and excited that she believed she might cry. There was a whistle out in the crowd and Sakura laughed. Ino had decided to come to the preliminary dance round instead of going to prom. The blonde jumped up and down so that her friend could see her and clapped her hands in front of her. She pointed to the curtains that hide the back of the stage and Sakura nodded. Ino had motioned that she wanted to talk to Sakura after her performance back there and Sakura nudged her head in that direction.

Sakura ran off stage so that the judges could get all the dancers scores together and deliberate on which five would move on to the next round. Kurenai was there to meet Sakura back stage and hugged her student tightly as she told her what a great job she did. She let her go with a pat on a back before she ran to go get Sakura her change of clothes. As the rosette waited for both her teacher and friend to meet with her, another dancer came up to her. Sakura knew this dancer well as did Ino for that matter.

Temari was known for being her school's most talented dancer. There was not a type of dance she didn't know and it was rumored that she was going to major the art form in college. Another rumor even admitted that the girl had been offered a place in a prestigious dance school. She was good and Sakura feared the other girl for her talent.

Temari weakly smiled at Sakura as she approached and the rosette was unsure what to do. Ino had strictly told her that she didn't want Sakura talking to the girl no matter what. However, it was not in Sakura to be rude to Temari. To be truthful, the blonde never did anything wrong to Sakura and was not a type of a person that Sakura felt she had to be hateful to. Her very presence concerned Sakura though and they were not friends to begin with.

"I know that we're not supposed to be talking to each other," Temari said, surprising Sakura with her words. "But I wanted to tell you that I liked you're dance."

"Oh, well thank you," Sakura replied. Then she turned the conversation towards the blonde. "And yours was good as well. If I had known we could use props, I would have used them."

Temari flashed one of her small fans open in front of her face and smiled before she closed them. "Maybe I'll let you borrow them for the next round."

The two girls laughed, though nothing either of them said had been the least bit amusing. Sakura couldn't believe that the two of them were actually having a conversation together. If Ino had seen what was going on, she would have had a major meltdown. Temari and Sakura continued to talk, pretending like they had been friends forever. It was better than actting awkward which is what both girls were feeling to begin with. After awhile, Sakura came to the conclusion that she kind of like Temari despite the disgust that Ino felt towards for her.

"I hope that I you get to the next round," Temari suddenly said.

"Really?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, really. You're so good at dancing, it'll be nice challenge for me," Temari told her. "Don't take that the wrong way though. I know that Ino probably told you that I'm some horrible person."

"Maybe not in those exact words to tell you the truth," Sakura sheepishly stated.

Temari snorted and sat on the dance floor in exhaustion. Sakura sat down next to her.

"Well, she's not totally wrong," the blonde said. "I did take Shikamaru from her. However, I've decided to end it."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, shocked.

"Shikamaru needs to decide on which of us he likes better," Temari explained. "If he chooses me, that would be nice. On the other hand, he's better off with Ino. I can tell he likes her more, he just can't seem to understand that yet. And I know that Ino loves him more than I ever could."

"You want Ino to have him?"  
"Isn't that what I just said?" the blonde said. "Look, it kinda hurts knowing that he likes her more, but they would be happier with me out of the picture. I need to let him go and be with her."

_Wow._ Sakura thought to herself. _She's really thought about this. Ino will be thrilled to know this, though she'll be pissed to know that I spoke to Temari._

A judge cleared his throat on stage and asked for all the contestants to meet him out on stage. Sakura helped Temari to her feet and the two of them walked out together. They stood in line with the other dancers and waited for their names to be called for the final round. The lights dimmed and the judge opened an envelope with the results inside.

"And the contestants to move on to the next round are," the judge started to say. "Sakura Haruno, Temari..."

Sakura tuned out the rest of what the judge was saying and took in what he had previous said. She was a finalist. A true, legit finalist. It was a dream come true. She glanced over to Temari who looked just as shocked as she was. Sakura wasn't sure why the other girl was surprised since she was on of the best at the show. Temari glanced over at Sakura and a smiled developed across her lips. Sakura smiled to and before she knew it, the two of them were hugging and jumping up and down in glee.

What Sakura didn't see at this point, was Ino. The blonde was watching her friend from backstage, clinging onto the velvet curtains with disbelief. She was held confusion and betrayal in her eyes. The night was surely full of surprises.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So what do you think Ino will do? It might be bad, it might not be. You'll see later on though. Also, something bad is coming up too. I'm kinda excited about it. Hope you liked the chapter and please review. And on another note, I posted a story about Avatar: the Last Airbender if you would like to read it.


	13. Cars

**Author's Note:** Sunday update! Just want to let you know that I might not update next sunday because I'm graduating this week and my family might have plans for me that weekend. Enjoy this chapter and please review. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 13:

******Cars**

_"We're moving slow passing accidents  
And we're singing to the ambulance  
Saying oh my God I don't care about the car  
And oh my God I don't care at all..."_

_~"Cars" by Now, Now Every Children~_

* * *

Outside the Four Leaves hotel where Konoha High was holding their prom, Sasuke waited patiently by the door for his date to arrive. It was getting a bit windy and dark so Sasuke stuck his hands into the coat pockets of his tux. Off in the distance, ominous clouds were barreling closer to the hotel. Sasuke had half a mind to just walk into the hotel without Sakura to avoid the oncoming rain. However, he knew that Sakura was going to be there soon and decided to wait outside and face the storm for his girlfriend. If the tux he was wearing was going to get wet, there was a slight possibility that he was going to make Sakura pay for the dry cleaning. A very, very slight possibility.

A limo pulled up to the entrance of the hotel looking sleek and posh. Naruto walked out from it, wearing a tux which made Sasuke surprised. His friend hated wearing penguin suits and had his mind set on wearing just a nice button up shirt and dark pants. Then the reason for Naruto's classy get-up exited the limousine with their pale hand in the blonde's. Hinata steadied herself on black heels and wrapped her slender arm around Naruto's. Her indigo dress was short, but Sasuke was sure that it was expensive. Her family was known for being on the wealthy side.

The couple made their way to the front doors of the hotel and almost completely missed Sasuke standing by the doorway. A smile grew on the blonde's lips and he guided Hinata with his hand over to the brooding teen against the wall.

"Hey what are you doing out here by yourself?" Naruto asked. "Shouldn't you be inside with Sakura?"

"Sakura's not here yet, I'm waiting for her out here," Sasuke explained. "She should be here in a couple of minutes."

"Oh okay then," Naruto said. "Are you sure that you want to wait for her out here? Come inside with us, Hinata and I wouldn't mind you hang around with us for awhile."

"Of course," Hinata softly spoke at her date's side. "Come with us Sasuke."

Sasuke shook his head. "Nah, you guys go ahead inside and have a good time. I'll be fine out here."

His best friend gave him a "are you sure?" look and tightened his hold on Hinata's shoulders. Sasuke nodded and watched as Naruto and Hinata walked into the hotel. After they left, he took out his cell phone and checked the time. It was half past seven, a bit later than what Sakura had told him she would be there by. He was okay with her being a few minutes late. The only thing that he hoped for her to do was call saying where she was and how much longer she would be. He concerned himself to be somewhat patient in character if he wished to be so. Now he was starting to become annoyed and had his phone glued to his hand to check the time ever few minutes.

"Where are you Sakura?" he asked to no one in particular.

A raindrop splattered on the sidewalk and Sasuke looked up at the sky. The storm was closer than it had been and looked even more threatening than before. Another droplet of rain few from the sky and landed on Sasuke's face. He wiped it away only to have another drop fall on his hand. Soon it began to softly pour rain over Sasuke and his clothes were becoming slowly becoming drenched. The glass doors of the hotel opened and out walked a doorman. He made a concerned look at the storm and turned his head to glance at the teen at the door. Holding up an umbrella, he handed it over to the boy and opened another one for himself. Smiling, he waited by the door with Sasuke.

"I'm guessing you're with the prom crowd that's inside right now," the doorman said.

"Did my tux give it away?" Sasuke asked sarcastically.

The doorman laughed and nodded.

"You should go inside so that you don't ruin your tux," the man stated. "I'm sure that your date would understand that you weren't waiting for her at the door because of the rain."

"I told her that I would be outside waiting for her at the door when she arrived," explained Sasuke. "And that's what I plan on doing."

"Then you're one of the good ones then," the doorman said. "If my daughter had a boyfriend like you, then she would have to count herself lucky."

A car swerved up to the doorway and the doorman tipped the hat he was wearing respectfully at the teen.

"I hope the girl you're waiting for gets here soon," he said. "The storm we're having right now is supposed to get worst as the night goes on."

With that said the hotel doorman hustled over to the people exiting the car and covered them with the umbrella he was carrying as he led them to the hotel's entrance. Sasuke gripped the umbrella the doorman had given him and angled it in a way that prevented the most rain from hitting him. He took one last look at his phone and sighed. It was getting pretty late. Thunder clapped overhead and lightening could be seen in the dark clouds. Wind nipped at the umbrella Sasuke held and brought a somewhat warm draft around him. It was definitely beginning to look like a bad storm. Perhaps he should actually go inside.

_Hurry up Sakura._ Sasuke thought as he headed inside and watched the storm grow worst. _And be careful._

* * *

"Shit," Sakura spat as she drove quickly on the road to the hotel where her prom was.

She knew that she was late and that Sasuke was probably growing impatient by the minute. Her dance contest ran a bit later than she had thought and it didn't help that she was kept after the contest to shake hands and be talked to by the judges about her performance. Luckily, Kurenai had come to her rescue and dragged her off to the dressing rooms to switch from her dance uniform into her prom dress. Sakura had looked for Ino before she left and couldn't seem to find her. They'll just have to catch up later on the phone.

Now on the road, Sakura found herself trapped behind a rather slow driver. It didn't make matters any better that it was now raining really hard. She had trouble seeing the brake lights in front of her and she was using her windshield wipers at the fastest speed they could go. She was relieved when the driver in front of her decided to turn left. Pressing down hard on the accelerator, Sakura rushed down the street.

Looking at her car's clock, she gasped and took out her cell phone. She was later than she took she was. As against talking on the phone while driving as she was, Sakura decided that this was one of the few moments that she felt like it would be okay. She dialed Sasuke's number from memory and waited to hear his voice on the other end.

"Come on, come on," she said impatiently listening for the sound of her boyfriend picking up the phone.

Sakura didn't have to wait long and practically cheered when Sasuke answered his phone.

"Hello? Sakura?" he greeted, his tone wavering over worry and annoyance.

"Sasuke, I'm so sorry that I'm late!" she apologized. "I got caught up at the dance thingy and they wouldn't let me leave when I wanted to. I'm so, so sorry."

"It's fine," he replied. "Where are you?"

Sakura looked for the closest road sign that she could see and squinted at it as she passed it. She calculated the best she could on how far she was and how long it would take.

"Give me about ten to fifteen more minutes," Sakura guessed. "I'll be there as quickly as possible."

"Just be careful, this storm is supposed to get really bad," Sasuke told her. "I'll see you when you get here."

Sakura smiled into her phone. "Thank you Sasuke. I am really sorry you know."

She could only imagine Sasuke smirking on the other side of the phone.

"Don't worry about it. Bye Sakura."

"Bye," she said, closing her phone.

Sakura placed her cell phone on the passenger seat beside her so that she could easily get to it if it was to ring again. Just then she came up behind a semi-truck sluggishly inching along the road. She cursed loudly and made an unladylike finger gesture at the truck even though the driver wouldn't be able to see it. Why was she always getting stuck behind the slowest drivers in the universe?

"Come on!" she shouted at the truck. "Move it!"

And like magic, the truck turned and went down another road. It was like the universe had heard her plea. She swiftly drove on the road and decided to turn up her music so that it could add some contentment to her drive. Sakura came up to a four-way intersection and stopped at the stop sign. The road was vacant, but she looked both ways before crossing just to be safe. She slowly nudged her car across the intersection when the road had deemed itself safe. As soon as she made it to the middle of the road, she heard a car horn sound piercingly from the right side of the road. Sakura glanced over just in time to see headlights rushing towards her.

It happened so fast. The pick-up truck hit her car at an alarming speed, smashing the right side of her vehicle. The back end of her car fish-tailed and swung her around. Sakura screamed at the top of her lungs and let go of her wheel. The truck pushed her into another lane and Sakura barely had time to prepare herself for the other car. It hit her straight on, scrunching up the front end of her small car. Her head swung back from the force of the blow, hitting the back on her seat. The impact sent her head back forward, this time coming in contact with the steering wheel. It sounded like there was a crack from hitting the wheel and Sakura groaned in pain.

The only thing that Sakura could hear was the rough pelting of rain on her damaged car and the growing softer sound of the music she had been playing. Her body hurt too much to move so she stayed with her head resting against the steering wheel. She didn't know how long she had been laying there and it seemed like a long time. It was hard to tell since she didn't feel like turning her neck to see it. A bright light flashed onto her face and she lifted up her arm to shield her eyes from its flourscent glow. Red and blue lights grew closer to the accident and the sirens that came with them became loud. Sakura sighed and felt like crying. Her body was jittery after what had just happened and her heart was beating at a fast pace.

Then Sakura felt very sleepy. She had read in a book one time that after a head injury it's usually best not to let yourself fall asleep; especially if you happen to have a concussion. Her eyes fluttered, the weight of sleep wanting to over power her. She held her eyes open and her head began to throb. There was some shouting and it looked like there was a police officer heading her way. Sakura was relieved. At last, someone was coming to help her. The officer was assisted with a EMT worker and together they got Sakura's car door open. The EMT worker called for a stretcher and carefully leaned over Sakura's back to unbuckle her seatbelt. Gently wrapping his arms around her and lifted her from her seat. With the help from the police officer, Sakura was placed on a stretcher. Tears bubbled up in her eyes as she was put inside an ambulance.

_I'm so sorry Sasuke. _

* * *

It was almost nine o'clock and Sasuke was getting antsy. Sakura said that she would be at the Four Leaves in fifteen minutes and it had been at least forty-five. He checked his phone again. Maybe it rang or buzzed and he didn't notice. However, there was nothing there indicating that he had gotten a call. He shoved his phone back into his pocket and sat on a cushioned chair in the hotel lounge. His friends had all come up to him at one point or another to check on him, asking if he wanted to join them. He had turned them all down just so that he could wait for Sakura. It was now looking like she wasn't even going to come.

Was she ditching him? It was a stupid thought that Sasuke regretted thinking about and pushed it aside. She probably was stuck in traffic or something. It was raining hard and people did idiotic things whenever the weather got bad. He would know. Back when he first got his license, a car almost hit him after sliding on a patchy bit of ice that everyone and their mother could have seen. Sasuke hoped that Sakura would be a victim of that.

His cell rang and he fumbled with it as he took it out of his pocket. Looking at the caller id, he was surprised to see that it wasn't who he first thought it to be.

"Mrs. Haruno?" Sasuke said into the phone, trying to be polite.

"Hello Sasuke," she answered. There was something off about her voice. Like she had been crying and it was very shaky.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not," Mrs. Haruno replied. "There appears to have been an accident."

_No, please no._ Sasuke thought to himself.

"Sakura has been in an accident with two other drivers," Sakura's mother explained, now soundly like she was tearing up. "I'm heading over to the hospital now."

Sasuke headed out the door of the hotel and proceeded in the rain to walk to his car.

"Do you know which hospital?" he asked her.

"I believe they said Konoha North Metro," Mrs. Haruno stated. "It's about an hour's drive from Four Leaves hotel."

"Okay, thanks," Sasuke said as he got into his car and reved it up.

As he put on his seatbelt he heard Sakura's mother say, "I just thought that I would let you know. And knowing you, I figure you'll probably meet me here. Please be careful though, I don't want to hear about another accident."

"I'll drive as carefully as I can," Sasuke reassured her. "I'll meet you there."

They said their good-byes and Sasuke put his car into drive. He sped out of the hotel parking lot and towards the hospital Mrs. Haruno had mentioned. The only thing on Sasuke's mind the entire way was Sakura.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I find it a bit funny how this is the 13th chapter and since 13 is unlucky, that something bad happens. I swear that I didn't plan for that to happen. And I was strangely excited for this bit to happen. Maybe because I'm going to enjoy writing the next chapter. So I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review. Also, it appears that the playlist website I go to has decided that the song I liked for this chapter isn't very good or something like that. It's not there, so if you would like to listen to it, go to youtube or something.


	14. What I Wouldn't Do

**Author's Note:** I did find time to write this chapter and I hope you like it. It's got fluff in it so that should be good. Enjoy it and please review. :)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 14:

**What I Wouldn't Do**

_"If I were old, my dearest, you would be older  
But I would crawl upon your lap  
Wrap a blanket round our frail little shoulders  
And I'd die happily like that..."_

_~"What I Wouldn't Do" by A Fine Frenzy~_

* * *

Mrs. Haruno rushed into the hospital with only her daughter in mind. When she had gotten a call that her daughter was in an accident, she jumped into her car as fast as she could. No one explained the full details of her daughter's situation. She had no idea if Sakura had any broken bones or had gone into surgery for any major damage. The emergency response team that had contacted her had simply left those details out. So as she entered Konoha North Metro, she grabbed the first person in one of those bleach white coats that came into view and ordered them to take her to her daughter. She did not care if they had other patients to deal with; if they didn't want to deal with an angry mother, they would listen to her.

The doctor that she happened to take captive went to the nurses' station to figure out what room Sakura was in. After he had found the room number, he kindly led the worried woman into the elevator and down the hall. They arrived at the recovery room and the doctor opened the door for Mrs. Haruno to enter. She rushed in with hesitation and sauntered over to her daughter's bedside with potential tears waiting to fall from her eyes. A nurse was hovering over the girl's bed with a clipboard in hand and moved over for the mother to reach her child without any obstacles. Sakura sat in the bed with a quivering lip and held out her arms for her mother to hold her. Mrs. Haruno leaned over and gathered her only child into her arms and gave her a slight squeeze. Her baby was okay and that's all that mattered.

As she let go of her daughter, she noticed that Sakura was crying. Taking her daughter's face in her hands, she wiped the tears away with her thumbs. This gesture was to reassure the girl that she was okay, but it only made her cry harder. Mrs. Haruno kissed Sakura's forehead and sat in the chair next to the bed as she took hold of Sakura's left hand. Caressing it with her thumb, Mrs. Haruno then set her sights on the nurse who had yet to leave the room.

"Can you please tell me what exactly happened to my daughter?" she asked the nurse politely.

"She was in an accident with two other cars," the nurse said, flipping through her notes on the clipboard. "She sustained only a few scrapes and bruises. Her head hit the steering wheel pretty hard and she'll have to stay awake since she has a slight concussion. If she was to fall asleep before she's completely treated for her concussion, she might slip into a coma."

"Oh my poor baby," Mrs. Haruno quietly spoke to her daughter.

"Also since she hit the steering wheel, her neck was forced to snap back at a quick pace causing a severe case of whiplash," the nurse went on explaining. "So she'll have some neck pain for awhile that can easily be cured with pain killers."

"Thank you. Is there anything else I should know?"

The nurse nodded. "Yes, we would like her to stay here for the night if that's possible just to be safe that there is nothing else wrong. You will be free to leave in the morning."

"Of course," Mrs. Haruno said and turned her back on the nurse who decided that there was no more need for her in the room.

Mrs. Haruno sighed when she looked at her daughter. She couldn't believe that her child was in an accident, but she was overjoyed that she had only acquired minor injuries. Swiping a strand of hair from Sakura's face, she saw the bruise growing on her forehead for the first time. It was a disgusting mixture of purple, yellow, and brown. Sakura's eyes lowered and she leaned back in her hospital bed. Mrs. Haruno was worried at how tired her daughter looked and tapped her cheek gently.

"I'm sorry baby, but you can't go to sleep," she said apologetically. "The doctors are afraid that your concussion might cause you to slip into a coma if you do that."

"I know," Sakura replied. "It's just a little hard to stay awake."

"Then let's talk about something else then," her mother suggested. "Like Sasuke for example."

Sakura covered her face with her hands, letting out a quick sob before sniffling her nose and wiping the remaining tears away. She took hold of the blanket on her bed and gave it a quick squeeze.

"He is the most understanding guy I know," Sakura told her mother. "I told him that I was running late and he was okay with it. I had him standing outside that hotel waiting all night for me. He probably thinks that I stood him up at the prom and doesn't even know I'm here."

Sakura started to cry again and her mother ran her fingers through her pink locks as she tried to hush her. Mrs. Haruno hated seeing her daughter so distraught and wished to see her back to her usual sunny self.

"Oh honey, he doesn't think that at all," Mrs. Haruno reassured her. "Sasuke knows what happened to you and in fact, he's on his way here."

"What?" the rosette asked. "He is?"

The older Haruno nodded and smiled. "I called him before I came to see you. He sounded so worried when he answered the phone and I knew that there wasn't going to be anything stopping him from seeing you after I told him."

Sakura was at a loss for words and just stared at her mother. Mrs. Haruno took her daughter's hand and held it tightly, stroking the knuckles.

"I do believe that you've got that boy under your spell," her mother went on. "He's head over heels in love with you even if he doesn't know it yet."

"Sasuke," Sakura said under her breath. Then to her mother, "He's in love with me? How do you know?"

"Sometimes a mother just knows," was the response Mrs. Haruno gave her daughter. "A mother just knows."

* * *

Sasuke entered Konoha North Metro like he was on a do or die mission. With his tux still on and his tie askew, he marched up to the nurses' station and asked the nurse there what room Sakura was in. The nurse gave him the number and called back to him that it was only family allowed into the room at the moment. He failed to hear her and went to the nearest elevator to get to his girlfriend. He punched the number on the elevator door and waited until the door was completely closed to let himself break down. Sasuke leaned against the wall and slid to the floor as he gripped his head with discontent.

Why didn't he go with Sakura to her dance contest? He wasn't there to support her or to see if she had made it through to the next round. He could have driven them to prom from where the contest was being held and perhaps the accident wouldn't have happened. What upset Sasuke most of all was that he wasn't there to protect her. Not so much that, but the thought that there was nothing he could have done and no possible way to reverse the situation. He didn't like the thought of Sakura being hurt and him not being there to tell her everything was going to be all right. Now that something did happen to her, he felt like a complete failure.

A voice announced that he had reached the third level of the hospital and he sat up to adjust his clothes before exiting the elevator. He looked at the numbers on the walls in order to find the room where Sakura was being held. He came up to number 303 and just looked at the closed door. This was it, he was going to see what damage had been done to his girlfriend in the accident. There was nothing to prepare him for if she was severely hurt or not. Mrs. Haruno had not given him that much information to begin with. Sasuke took off the tie around his neck that was beginning to fall off and stuck it in his tux pocket. Taking a deep breath, he twisted the knob to open the door.

The light in the room was brighter than the one in the hallway and it took some time for his eyes to adjust. Then there she was, sitting upright in a hospital bed all disheveled and bruised. He was so relieved that she had only attained this few minor injuries that he could see so far. Sakura noticed him as he entered the room and started tearing up when he came to her bedside. Sasuke gave her a quick peck on the forehead before wrapping his arms around her protectively. Her slender arms snaked their way around his neck and she pressed the side of her face against his shoulder as she went on crying. He held her like that for awhile and then let her go so that she could blow her nose with the box of tissues at her side.

"I can't believe you came," she said to him, taking a tissue to her eyes.

Sasuke pulled a chair that was in the room closer to her bed so that he could sit down. "Now why wouldn't I come? You're in the hospital Sakura, that's reason enough."

She laughed though she didn't really know why and leaned back on the pillow at the head of her hospital bed. She sighed and stared at the ceiling.

"Where is your mother?" Sasuke asked, now realizing that the two of them were alone.

"Trying to find a decent cup of coffee in this place," Sakura replied. "She's a coffee addict just like me."

Sasuke nodded and just stared at Sakura. He didn't see the giant bruise on her forehead until now and felt disgusted by it. It was a huge reminder of what had just happened to the girl and looked like it hurt. He took Sakura's hand and kissed it. At first she jumped from the contact the two of them had made, but once she realized what he was doing she simply smiled and patted his head. Even in a time of worry and sadness, Sasuke found warmth in the smile Sakura gave him. Despite everything that's happened to her, she found a reason to smile.

"You're really something you know that," she said to him sweetly.

"How so?" he asked, still holding her hand close to his face.

"Well, you come to see me in the hospital and waited for me all night for prom," Sakura explained. "You helped me get one of my friend's the boy she's always wanted though you didn't want to and tried to help me with my math homework."

"Only because you were helping me with Iruka's assignment," Sasuke said.

"True, but then you teached me how to play Mario Kart and brought me flowers," Sakura went on with her list. "We went to the carnival and you took me on the carousel because I wanted to go on it. You bought me earrings on Valentine's Day. Sasuke Uchiha, you are the best boyfriend any girl could have wished for. I couldn't of asked for someone better."

Sasuke didn't know what to say and the only thing that did come to mind sounded extremely stupid and sappy. Instead, he decided to show what he thought about what Sakura just said with a gesture as a substitute for words. He took her face in his hands, studying her features for the perfection he believed existed there. Their lips connected and they kissed slowly over and over again. Sasuke had completely forgotten that Sakura was sitting in a hospital bed for a moment and was getting rough with his kisses. Neither one of them wanted to split apart for air, but it had to be done. Sakura held his lower lip between the two of hers in order to keep the kisses coming only to reluctantly let go to get some air. The two of them began to breathe heavily and gazed at each other with lovestruck eyes.

"I should go," Sasuke said suddenly, standing up from his chair.

"Wait, what? Why?" Sakura asked, raising a brow.

"Your mom should be getting back soon and I should really let you rest now," Sasuke explained. "I promise I'll come see you in the morning."

He was about to open the door when Sakura shouted for him to wait. Glancing behind him, he saw that she had flipped the sheets over on one side of her hospital bed. She patted at the empty spot and gave him a pleaded look.

"Stay with me for awhile," she said. "The doctors said that I have to stay awake for a bit in order to see if my concussion is completely healed or whatever. It's getting kind of boring being in this white room with no one to talk to while my mother is gone. Just stay a little bit until she gets back, please?"

Sasuke stood by the door for a moment, thinking about what he should do. Finally deciding that there was no harm in staying, he carefully climbed in the hospital bed with Sakura. It was really small and a tight squeeze for two people, but they found a way to make it work. She maneuvered herself between his legs and leaned her head back against his chest. He wrapped one arm around her middle and held her close. The entire time they sat like that, Sasuke rested his head on top of hers and laced her fingers with his own. They were oblivious to all else around them and didn't even noticed Mrs. Haruno watching them from the hospital door that she slightly opened. Smiling, she closed the door and went walking down the hallway to give her daughter more time with the man she was growing to love.

* * *

**Author's Note:**I hoped you like the chapter because next Sunday there will not be one. This is because I'm going out of town on vacation for awhile which also raises the concern if I'll have time to do the chapter for the week after that. If I have time, I'll type up the next chapter this week and post it early so that you'll only have to miss one if it comes down to it. Meanwhile, I once again hoped you liked this chapter and please listen to the song that I chose for the title. It's really cute and I think that it's on the playlist website. I'll check after I post the chapter. Please review if you liked the update and I'll see you guys next time! :)


	15. Daylight

**Author's Note:** I'm posting this early because I won't be able to on Sunday and possibly next Sunday as well. Enjoy it and please review. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 15:

**Daylight**

_" And in the daylight we can hitchhike to Maine  
I hope that someday I'll see without these frames  
And in the daylight I don't pick up my phone  
__'cause in the daylight anywhere feels like home"_

_~"Daylight" by Matt and Kim~_

* * *

After spending the night in the hospital, Sakura was free to return home along with a medical prescription for the pain in her neck and any other places that would potentially develop some soreness from the accident. She was escorted into her house by Sasuke who insisted on helping out upon her return. Her mother thought the gesture was sweet and Sakura thought it was too, but she didn't think that she needed any help getting to the front door. As soon as her mother's car pulled up into the driveway, Sasuke was waiting for them at the door. Sakura barely had time to unbuckle by the time he had opened the car door and cradled her bride-style out of the car. She laughed, telling him to put her down, but Sasuke wouldn't listen. He carried her all the way through the front door and into the living room were he gently set her down on the couch. Sasuke then went with Mrs. Haruno into her kitchen which was adjoined with the living room. From the couch, Sakura observed her mother making lunch with her boyfriend. Sakura had never seen him in such a setting before and smiled at how natural he looked there.

He was constructing a sandwich; a simple meal that no one could possible screw up unless they tried. Turkey, lettuce, and tomato with a hint of mayonnasie on wheat bread was just the way Sakura liked it and he knew that it was her favorite. Sakura figured that she must be bored out of her mind if she thought that Sasuke making her a sandwich was the most interesting thing she had ever seen. She was getting a warm, tingling feeling out of just watching him cut the sandwich in half. It was ridiculous because she was developing all these weird feelings over Sasuke making her lunch.

Mrs. Haruno and Sasuke set the kitchen table with sandwichs and salads for them to eat and brought Sakura to the table so that she could join them. Only this time Sasuke allowed her to move herself to the table on her own accord than with his help. Although he did pull out her chair for her and made sure she was settled before taking his own seat. Sakura's mother was enjoying watching every moment of this encounter and her daughter could tell. She seemed pleased with the display and dug into her salad with content. Eyeing her mother curiously, Sakura took a bite of her sandwich and let the flavors mingle on her tongue. She beamed towards Sasuke, letting him know that he had made her sandwich just right and took another bite of it.

Everything was going smoothly in Sakura's mind. She wasn't feeling too much pain and her boyfriend was getting along with her mother like she expected them to. Nothing could ruin the moment that was unfolding. It was peaceful in her kitchen and everything and everyone seemed to fit nicely in the image that was in her head. Sasuke was perfect in everway she could imagine and he molding into her home naturally. It was almost like he lived in the very same house all his life and she hadn't noticed until now. He would make a fine husband one day for some lucky girl. Not like she didn't want him to be hers or anything, but if he did happen to marry her then she wouldn't be disappointed.

What on earth was she thinking? Marriage at her age? That thought was supposed to come up far into the future, certainly not now. She liked Sasuke, getting to the point in which she could say that she truly loved him. But marry him? Sakura wasn't ready for that and even though she wasn't ready for it, she was sure that Sasuke wouldn't be a bad choice.

"Are you still hungry?" Sasuke said suddenly, disrupting her thoughts. "I can make you another one if you want."

Sakura looked down at her plate and was shocked to see that she had finished her sandwich without even knowing. Her tummy grumbled and she nodded for Sasuke to make her another sandwich. He took her plate with his own and went behind the island counter to start putting sandwiches together. Sakura started to watch him make her sandwich again only to have her mother poke her on the arm to let her know that she was doing it.

"You're staring," her mother mouthed, not wanting Sasuke to hear.

"Oops, didn't notice," she mouthed back and smirked when Sasuke came back with her food.

"Were you talking about me?" he asked much to Sakura's surprise.

"No," Sakura replied, beginning to eat. "Not at all."

Sasuke gave her a questioning look and bit into his own sandwich. Mrs. Haruno cleared her throat and twisted her fork in her salad bowl.

"So Spring Break is coming up," she said. "What are you guys thinking of doing?"

Sakura and Sasuke both shrugged and continued to eat.

"No parties? No going to the beach?" Mrs. Haruno asked. "Isn't that a bit boring?"

"It's a week away mom," the rosette explained. "There is plenty of time to make plans in the near future. Right Sasuke?"

The male teen nodded and Sakura's mother smiled.

"Well, I'm going to go visit your father for awhile," she said to Sakura. "I know that he's been away for a long time, but I figured that it would be easier for me to see him than for him to come back here to see me."

"That's wonderful mom," Sakura said. "He does work a lot, so he'll be grateful to see you instead of having to work."

Then Mrs. Haruno's face twisted into a wicked grin that Sakura wasn't sure that she liked. She crossed her hands in front of her face and held them there. She narrowed her gaze at her daughter and her boyfriend.

"I'll be gone for two weeks which means the house will be empty for a long time," she announced. "You'll be here all alone for awhile Sakura."

Getting to what her mother was insinuating, Sakura furrowed her brow in discontent.

"Mom! Geez!" she shouted, embarrassed that her mother was suggesting such a thing while Sasuke was sitting at the table with them.

"What?" Mrs. Haruno said, raising a brow. "I'm just saying that I'm okay with it just as long as you're safe-..."

Sasuke then choked on the water he was drinking and turned a bright red. He had just registered on what Mrs. Haruno was implying and pretended to ignore it as he stared at the stove clock in the kitchen. Sakura's jaw hung open as she too became a pinkish color. She couldn't believe her mother was saying all this in front of Sasuke and her for that matter. It was mortifying and totally uncalled for.

Sakura's mother roughly puresed her lips together and held her body in a awkward stance. For a second it looked like she was choking, but then she burst out laughing. Her laugh echoed in the kitchen and instantly became contagious. Sakura began to chuckle as well, holding her sides to contain herself. Sasuke only smirked his usual amused look as he watched the two women laugh their heads off. Wiping a tear from her eye from laughing so hard, Sakura turned to her mother.

"What's so funny?" she said inbetween chuckles. "Why are we laughing?"

"Your expressions!" Mrs. Haruno cried. "The looks on your faces after I implied that you two could have sex was completely hilarious! I was only kidding!"

"Oh," Sakura said, becoming pink once again. "That wasn't very nice."

"It may not have, but the looks you gave me were absolutely worth it," her mother stated. "I'm sorry that I embarrassed you sweetie. I'll leave you two alone."

The older woman excused herself from the table and placed her plate into the sink before heading out of the room. She knew very well that she was leaving two very uncomfortable teenagers behind and felt satisfied by it.

* * *

It was the last week of March, the week before Spring Break was supposed to begin and Sasuke had a baseball game to attend to. Sakura sat in the bleachers, cheering him on with Naruto and Hinata at her side. Naruto sat up from his seat every couple of minutes to cheer his friend on only to be pulled back down to the bleachers by Hinata. Konoha's team was batting first and thus had one of their best players, Sasuke, up at bat to start out the game right. He waited for the pitcher to wind up the ball and sloped his stance so that he would be ready for the pitch. Grinning, the pitcher threw the ball and Sasuke let it pass right by him. The people in the stands stood up in an uproar, unable to understand why Sasuke didn't hit a perfectly thrown ball. However, Sakura knew and smirked from beneath Sasuke's ball cap.

Whenever Sasuke was at bat, he liked to make the pitchers believe that he was a terrible batter. After the second strike by the umpire, he would hit the ball and have it soar over the fence to score a home run. It worked everytime. This particular pitcher (they were playing against Iwaga High School today) was feeling especially cocky after having Sasuke miss two of his throws. He leaned forward to wind up for his next pitch and twisted the ball in his hand. Standing up tall like a crane, he threw the baseball in his hand towards Sasuke. Smirking, Sasuke swung his bat and waited for the sound of a crack from the ball hitting the bat before he started to run. The ball players from Iwaga ran around like ants trying to catch the ball Sasuke had sent flying while he went around to first base. Feeling lucky, Sasuke made his way towards second base and noticed that one of the opposing players had caught the ball. He stayed at second base so that the Iwaga team couldn't toss the ball to the next plate and tap him out.

From the bleachers, Sakura hollared her boyfriend's name and waved to him. He nodded in her direction and she gave him a thumbs up. They didn't care if anyone noticed this, the exchange of glances between the two of them because they wanted themselves to be exposed. Originally, they had planned to come out as a couple at prom , but Sakura's accident ripped that plan apart. Now they were just being lazy about hiding it and didn't care if anyone saw. They had waited long enough and there was truly no point in having it hidden. As long as Sasuke's home stayed a secret, they were okay with their relationship being known.

"So Sakura," Naruto said from beside her. "Doing anything for Spring Break?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so."

"I was just asking because Hinata and I would like to invite you and Sasuke to join us at the beach," he explained. "Hinata's family has a house down there that no one is using and we thought that it would be the perfect place to stay. Do you and Sasuke want to come?"

"I would love to join you, but let me ask Sasuke first," she replied, standing up from her spot.

Walking down the side of the bleachers, Sakura went up to the coach's box were Sasuke was returning from reaching home plate. She whistled for him to come up to the chain-linked fence that separated them and laced her figners through the gaps.

"Hey," he said, taking off his helmet and revealing his hat hair. "What's up?"

"Naruto wants to know if we want to go with him and Hinata to the beach next week for Spring Break," she asked him.

He rubbed his matted hair and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Do you want to go?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation.

"Then sure," Sasuke responded before leaning closer to the gate to kiss her through it.

They parted ways and Sakura made her way back to her spot in the stands to watch the game again. Naruto munched on nachos that Hinata had gotten him while Sakura was away and licked the artifical cheese off the corner of his lips.

"What did he say?" he asked, tossing in another nacho into his mouth.

"We're coming with you guys," Sakura told him. "Should be fun, the four of us driving down there. I love road trips."

Naruto laughed. "So do I, but Sasuke's going to hate it."

Sakura lifted her brow and narrowed her eyes. "Why's that?"

An evil grin curled up on the blonde's lips.

"We can't take Sasuke's car because well, it sucks. Hinata's car is way to small for all of us and your's is out of the question which leaves mine," he said. "Sasuke's okay with SUV's and all, but he knows that I love to sing in the car. And let me tell you, I suck at singing."

* * *

**Author's Note:** So an early edition of Neighbors. I hoped you liked it and my favorite chapters are coming up so I'm going to work on them while I'm on vacation next week if I can. If you liked this chapter, please review (I love it when you do) and look for the song on the playlist (this one I know for sure is on there).


	16. I've Been Everywhere

**Author's Note: **So I'm updating this at 11 pm which means its technically still Saturday and not Sunday where I am. But I figured that it must be Sunday somewhere in the world so I'm posting this now. I know I've been gone awhile and I told you why. I'm back and now I'm starting to write/post my favorite chapters. Enjoy this one and please review. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 16:

**I've Been Everywhere**

_"I was totin' my pack along the long dusty Winnemucca road,  
When along came a semi with a high an' canvas-covered load.  
'If you're goin' to Winnemucca, Mack, with me you can ride.'  
And so I climbed into the cab and then I settled down inside.  
He asked me if I'd seen a road with so much dust and sand.  
__And I said, 'Listen, I've traveled every road in this here land!'"_

_~"I've Been Everywhere" by Johnny Cash~_

_

* * *

_

Ino sat on a bar stool behind the counter of her mother's flower shop. Blowing a strand of blonde hair out of her face, she sighed and rested her chin on her elbow. It was the beginning of Spring Break and all she had planned was working in her mother's shop. It was beyond boring. However, she couldn't complain that much considering the other options she was given. Upon seeing her midterm grades, her parents had her grounded and offered her a few chores to do during her punishment. Watching and attending to the flower shop happened to be one of them.

She began to scribble letters onto a word search and felt her pocket buzz. Taking out her cell phone, she read the text she had just received. It was from Sakura. Ino hadn't talked to her about the Temari thing quite yet. As a matter of fact, she hadn't really spoken to Sakura that much at all. It wasn't like she didn't want to; more like she didn't know how to. She couldn't believe that Sakura would betray her like that by talking to Temari. Sakura even hugged her! How could she do that? She knew what Ino thought about the girl yet she went ahead with her betrayal.

A customer tapped on the marble counter in front of Ino and slammed a bouquet of roses down. Ino looked up, shaking her head free from her deep thoughts. She blushed, quickly spraying out an apology as she rang up the bouquet at the register. After the woman left, Ino knocked on her forehead with the bottom of her fist. She never realized how much Sakura's betrayal truly affected her. It seemed so frivolous to still be mad since Ino hadn't talked to Sakura about it yet.

Then a picture of Sakura and Temari laughing flashed through her mind. Ignoring her presence and enjoying each other's company. It didn't seem quite right. Another picture flashed by, this time of Sakura and Sasuke. How come Ino wasn't allowed to have a relationship like that? It was like the universe had smiled upon Sakura's world and stormed on her own. It wasn't fair. Ino scribbled down harder on the word search with a fierce stroke.

The bell above the shop's entrance chimed and Ino looked up from her scribbles to see who it was. A girl from her class strolled in and browsed the aisles of the flower shop. A wicked smile developed on Ino's face and she crossed her fingers in front of her. The girl that had walked in wasn't exactly one of Ino's friends (more like an acquaintance) and was just as much a gossip queen as the blonde. The thing about this girl that satisfied Ino the most at the moment was that she happened to be one of Sasuke's fan girls. An idea grew in her mind and she kept smiling as the girl came up to the register with her purchase.

"Find everything okay?" Ino asked the girl as she rang up the bouquet of lilies.

The girl nodded and went searching through her purse for some money to pay with. She handed Ino some cash and pocketed the change afterward. It was then that Ino decided to unravel her plan.

"Hey don't we go to school together?" Ino asked the girl, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah I think we do," the girl replied. "You're in Mr. Hatake's third period class with me."

"Of course! No wonder I recognized you!" Ino exclaimed. "It's nice seeing you."

"You too," the girl said.

Ino then leaned over the marble counter and motioned for the girl to come closer.

"What do you think about Sasuke Uchiha?" she asked in a hushed tone.

The girl clapped her hands together and got a dreamy expression across her face.

"I think he's the most mysterious and cutest guy I've ever seen," the girl swooned. Then she wrinkled her brow. "Why?"

"What if I told you that I know where he lives?" Ino told her mischievously.

A squeal came out of the girl's mouth and she jumped up and down. "Are you for real? That would be amazing!"

Ino snickered, "I'm totally serious about this and I'm willing to tell you the address."

The girl could have fainted right there and took out a piece of paper for Ino to write down the address. When she finished writing, she told the girl that she should tell everyone she knows about where Sasuke lives. The girl left in a rush and Ino situated herself on the barstool in a more comfortable position. Sakura betrayed her, now it was time that Ino gave Sakura a piece of her own medicine.

* * *

Sakura's mother waved as Naruto pulled his SUV out of the Haruno's driveway and headed towards the highway. Music blasted from the front seat and Sasuke tried not to strangle Naruto as he began to sing. It was like listening to quarters in a blender along with a baby crying. Sasuke only wondered how Hinata was able to bear it. The girls sat in the back, their suitcases filling the trunk to the brim. It was amazing that the car wasn't the least bit top-heavy. Though she didn't know it, Sasuke was watching Sakura from the rearview mirror.

She laughed at something that Hinata said or rather something she had remarked on (it was hard to tell with the music playing) and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She was happy and it was impossible to tell that she had recently been in a car accident. The bruise on her forehead had disappeared and as far as he knew she was scratch free. He was glad that she felt well enough to go on this trip.

A commercial came up on the radio and a fancy jingle played to advertise auto-parts. Immediately, Sakura and Naruto started to mimic the singer's voice along with dancing a little jig to complete the performance. Sasuke could have sworn that he had seen Hinata mouth the words to the song as well. The commercial ended and Sasuke shook his head as the two singers laughed. It was childish, but so like them.

A sign they passed said that there was food on the next exit and Naruto navigated his car towards the restaurant it mentioned. It was a cheesy diner with all the stereotypical diner qualities anyone would have expected it to have. Naturally, Naruto ordered practically half the menu. The waitress wrote down all their orders and gave Sasuke a wink. He cringed on the inside and narrowed his eyes at Naruto who laughed at him.

"Why is it that wherever we go to eat, there is always a waitress that tries to hit on you?" Naruto asked him.

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't know. It's really annoying and sometimes disturbing."

"Don't be so quick to judge them Sasuke," Sakura said with a grin. "They might actually be nice people."

Great, now his girlfriend was making fun of him too.

"Sakura, she has to be at least twice my age," Sasuke told her plainly.

The rosette twirled her straw around in her cup and took a sip. "Cougars need love too Sasuke."

Naruto laughed at that one and even Hinata had smirked. Sasuke rolled his eyes and continued to brood until their food came out. When they all had finished, Naruto made some excuse that he had forgotten his wallet in his car and had Sasuke pay for their meals. The waitress that had served them handed him back the bill and winked at him again. He flipped the bill over and saw that she had written her phone number on it. Naruto took the bill from him and laughed loudly after Sasuke took the bill back and tore it into pieces.

Back into the car, Sasuke said that he would drive for a little bit so that Naruto could rest a bit. Sakura joined him up front, giving Naruto her seat in the back. The blonde was content with this and pulled his backpack out from the trunk and placed it at his feet. He pulled out a deck of cards and had Hinata play go fish with him. Meanwhile, Sakura curled up in her seat and rested her feet against the dashboard. She gazed out the window, watching the other cars pass them. Sasuke had a notion that she was feeling a bit bored and asked her if she was in fact bored out of her mind.

"A bit, but I'm sure it'll go away sooner or later," she said.

"Well, what do you usually do with your family on a road trip?" he asked her, not wanting her to be bored.

She scrunched up her face as she searched through her memories. Sasuke thought that the face she was making looked rather cute and realized that he wasn't paying attention to the road like he was supposed to. He turned the wheel to avoid a car drifting into his lane and waited to hear Sakura's answer.

"Sometimes we play the alphabet game," she finally replied. "Basically you look at billboards and street signs to find words starting with the letter you're on. Why, do you want to play?"

He nodded and they took turns looking for the letters. She had the first thirteen letters of the alphabet and he had the last. To make things more interesting for them, Sakura decided that it should be a race to see who could find all the letters assigned to them first. For awhile it the whole game didn't seem fair since Sakura had all the easy letters. Then Sasuke started to spot some on his listen and before he knew it, he had them all.

"And last, but not least: Zip Zap's Auto Service for the letter Z," he stated, smirking at the bewildered look on Sakura's face.

"That's impossible!" she shouted. "You can't use Extreme Wheels for X. That's cheating!"

He snorted, "Hey I'm at a disadvantage here, you doing a thing called driving. Plus you gave me all the hard ones so I guess that would make you the cheater."

Sakura gasped, placing a hand over her heart like she was offended. However, Sasuke knew that she was faking it and had found herself caught.

"Cheat! I would do no such thing," she said to him. "I would never cheat with you."

Sasuke raised a brow, giving her a sideways glance before returning his attention back on the road. She sighed and flew up her hands like she was outraged.

"Fine, I cheated. Only just a little bit though okay?" Sakura sighed and went back to staring out the window. "Congrats, you win."

Sasuke looked back at her and saw that she was smiling. He smirked and drove on. A couple of hours later, Naruto switched back to being the driver and this time had Hinata sit up front with him. Sasuke and Sakura sat in the back. The couple up front talked quietly with one another and Sakura took this time to squeeze in a tiny nap. She somehow managed to get her legs up underneath her and leaned against the car window like it was a pillow. Her toes brushed against Sasuke's hand in her sleep and he coiled back before he realized what was going on.

Sakura shifted her weight in her sleep, moaning about something under her breath and then swallowed hard. Sasuke paid her no mind and watched out the window. Then he received a kick to the side and was slammed against the car door. His cheek pressed against the coolness of the glass and he pealed himself off of it. He was about to asked Sakura why she had hit him only to notice that she was still sound asleep. He rubbed his side which was now throbbing and went back to his window watching.

A few more hours went by and finally they foursome had arrived at the beach. Naruto drove around the road while he listened to Hinata give him directions to her family's beach house. By now, Sakura had woken up and was ever so alert as she too helped Naruto locate the house from the back seat.

"Do you know that you kick around in your sleep?" Sasuke told her roughly.

"Oh, did I kick you?" she asked sheepishly. "I'm sorry; I didn't realize that I still do that. It used to only happen when I dreamed about something bothering or extremely important to me."

"What did you dream about that made you have to hit me?" he questioned her.

He could have sworn that she was blushing.

"I can't seem to remember at the moment," Sakura replied.

Sasuke was about to call her out on that statement, believing that she wasn't being truthful with him when Naruto interrupted.

"Hey look guys!" he shouted. "We're here!"

Sasuke and Sakura arched their necks so that they could better see the house after Naruto had stopped the car. Sakura gasped and touched Hinata on the shoulder.

"That's your family's beach house?" she asked in disbelief. "It's huge!"

Hinata shrugged and played with her fingers out of both habit and embarrassment.

"It's not that big," she stuttered.

Sasuke had to disagree. Like Sakura had said the place was pretty big. It was like the size of his house combined with half of Sakura's. The home had three garage doors, one that was opening for Naruto to pull his car into. The group got out of the car to unload it and Hinata led them inside so that they could pick the rooms they wanted to stay in. Sasuke chose the one next to Sakura's unaware that he had done so. He was unpacking his things when he heard Sakura shout.

He quickly opened his door just as she had opened hers. She raced out in a white bikini and leaned over the railing that allowed for the top floor to look down at the living room. Hinata was sitting on a couch downstairs reading a magazine when she heard Sakura shout her name.

"I can't believe that I can see the beach from my room! The water looks so blue," Sakura exclaimed. "Do you want to join me out there Hinata?"

The shy girl nodded and sat up so that she could head to her room to change. The rosette then turned around after feeling Sasuke stare at her bare back.

"Why don't you come with us?" she said. "Go and get Naruto too when you come. This is going to be so much fun!"

Sakura didn't give Sasuke time to reply and headed down the stairs towards the back door which had access to a private part of the beach. Sasuke shook his head and went back into his own room. He had to agree with Sakura. Perhaps this vacation was going to be fun.

* * *

The doorbell rang at the Uchiha household and Itachi grumbled as he sat up from the couch to answer it. It was supposed to be a nice and quiet day for him; a complete removal of distractions. His parents were out and about doing stuff he couldn't quite find himself to care about and his Sasuke was going to be gone for about a week. He had planned a perfect evening for himself consisting of lots of pizza and horribly rated movies that he loved to make fun of. Now someone was intruding on this carefully planned afternoon and it had made him grumpy.

He got to the door and picked off some pizza crust crumbs from his shirt. The door was knocked on again and he shouted for the person on the other end to hold on while he opened the door. Itachi immediately wished he hadn't.

On the other side were perhaps five teenage girls staring up at him with goofy grins. They looked to one another and giggled amongst themselves. It took everything within Itachi's power that he be the better man and not shut the door on these girls.

"Can I help you?" he asked them, wishing that they would go away.

"Is this Sasuke Uchiha's residence?" one of the girls asked in return.

He leaned against the door frame and gripped the door with his other hand.

"Depends on whose asking," he replied harshly.

The girls giggled again and one of them said, "This has to be the place I mean look at this guy! He looks exactly like Sasuke. I bet this is his older brother."

The other girls agreed and started to get too close to Itachi. They began to ask him questions faster than he could answer them though he really didn't want to. One of them grabbed his hand and tugged on it as she asked him some sort of ridiculous question about his younger brother. Before long, a few cars pulled up to the Uchiha household and more girls piled out. They ranged for so many different ages that Itachi even noticed a few kids from the middle school down the street as well. There was only one explanation. Someone had found out where the Uchiha boys lived. Itachi and Sasuke had worked so hard on keeping their home live separate from the outside world and now their cover was coming apart. Though the big question in Itachi's mind was: How did they all find out?

"Oh shit," Itachi cursed as a few more girls came stumbling onto his lawn.

He pulled away from the girls that surrounded him and managed to close the door on them before they could force their way through. At this moment, he was glad that Sasuke was not here to witness this. The boy would have a fit after seeing all these girls outside. Itachi felt that it would be best that he not ruin Sasuke's vacation with the news of their address being released and went back into the living room to watch his movie once again. He would tell Sasuke what had happened when he returned if the girls were gone by then. The doorbell rang and the door was knocked on, but Itachi tuned it out by turning up the volume on the TV.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So Ino spilled the beans, Itachi's evening has been ruined, and Sasuke's thinking that he might have fun on Spring Break. And that's just the beginning. More to come next Sunday which I hope that you all will be happy to read. I chose Johnny Cash for the title mainly because I like him and the song was an easy pick. I'll post the song on the playlist later. See you next chapter! :)


	17. And I Love Her

**Author's Note:** It's an hour early with the update, but I figured why not. It's a tad limey nothing too serious. Enjoy and please review. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 17:

**And I Love Her**

_"I give her all my love  
That's all I do  
And if you saw my love  
You'd love her too  
I love her..."_

_~"And I Love Her" by The Beatles~_

**_

* * *

_**

After the first couple of days at the beach, Sakura had decided that this was in fact the best Spring Break she had ever had. Everyday was sunny and not too hot plus the water was the perfect temperature for swimming. To add a cherry on top of the whole week, she was staying in this too good to be true beach home with her friends. It was safe to say that she never wanted to go home now that she was living in this luxurious setting. However, all good things come to an end eventually and they would be leaving in two days. She was going to miss staying at the beach.

Sakura lounged on a beach towel underneath an umbrella and smiled at the beautiful beach scene in front of her. The waves crashed against the white sand making it look irrestibly inviting. Sea gulls cried overhead and dove into the water to catch a fish that was unfortunately too close to the surface. The saltiness of the ocean filled her nose and it relaxed her. Off to the right of her beach settlement, Hinata and Naruto were enjoying the beach in their own way. They were building a sand castle with a seaweed princess in the tallest tower. Sakura always thought that the two of them were cute together.

To her side, Sasuke laid on a towel with an arm over his eyes so that he could sleep in peace and his other arm supported his head. Sakura flipped over onto her stomach and watched him sleep. His bare chest lifted with every breath, shifting his sleeping position every once and awhile. She had the urge to just cuddle up beside him right then and there, but decided against it. Why disturb his rest? Rolling onto her back again, Sakura looked to the beach. She really wanted to go play in the water, but she didn't want to do it alone. Asking for Hinata and Naruto to join her was out of the question because she didn't want to interrupt their time together. So that just left Sasuke which meant waking him up.

A sly smile emerged on her lips. Why wake him up the normal way when she could have more fun doing it in another? Sitting up on her knees, she leaned over Sasuke and tickled his side. He jolted from his sleep and looking surprised and angry at the same time. He was about to yell at Sakura for waking him up, but she was already running towards the water laughing the entire way. She could here him shout her name and not once did she turn around. Her feet entered the cool water and she trudged through it until it was almost to her hip. It was then that she turned around to see if he was still following her. The second she turned around, he was there. No longer looking angry, he smirked as he closed in on her. She pretended to look frightened and backed up further into the water. He dove at her, encircling his arms around her body as he pulled her into the water. Sakura squealed and held onto him as they went under.

Water rushed over her head and she felt Sasuke pull her up towards the surface. They were in a deeper part of the water now, Sakura barely being able to touch the bottom. She laughed after coming to the surface and rested her arms around Sasuke's neck. He lifted her up and wrapped her legs around his waist. A sensation shot up inside her when he touched her bare thigh. It felt nice and weird at the same time. She leaned closer to him and planted a kiss on his lips. When she pulled away, he immediately drew her in for another one. He was reluctant to release her and tugged on her lower lip before letting go. Sakura felt a bit lightheaded after the kiss and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You certainly have an interesting way of getting my attention," Sasuke said, slowly wading through the water. "There are better ways of waking me up."

Sakura lightly drew circles on his neck with her fingers. "And what fun would that be? Hm?"

"I guess no fun at all," he replied.

Sakura let Sasuke carry her around in the water and closed her eyes to let the moment soak in. She liked being in his arms, being this close to him and feeling his heart through his skin. The things like this they did together the more she felt like she loved him. It was only a matter of time before she actually spoke those three little words to him. Maybe she would do it before the break was over. It would be a bit romantic to say it on the beach perhaps during a sunset. It was settled then. She would create a moment like the one that was developing in her head and would tell him then. It was perfect plan.

"Get ready Sakura," Sasuke said suddenly, interrupting the dream world Sakura was creating.

"For what?" she asked, eyes still closed and relaxed.

"Look and see."

She lifted her head and turned around to see what he was talking about. Then she saw it. A huge wave hiding right towards them. As it hurdled closer to them, Sakura wondered why Sasuke wasn't moving away from it. It was about to crash down on them and Sasuke pressed her head against his shoulder as he took a deep breath. Sakura barely had any time of her own to gather in one last breath before Sasuke pulled them under the water. She clung onto him as the rush of the wave went above them and tugged at their bodies. Sasuke did his best to anchor them against the ocean floor, his feet digging into the sand. When the wave was pasted, Sasuke shot right back up to the surface and Sakura gasped for a breath. The salt water stung her eyes, making them red.

"Well that was fun," she said, wiping her eyes.

"It's your own fault for opening your eyes underwater," Sasuke japed at her.

Sakura poked at his chest. "Yeah, yeah. I'm getting a bit hungry. I wonder if they have any ice cream on the boardwalk."

Sasuke shrugged, starting to head back towards the beach. When they reached the sand, Sakura got off of Sasuke and walked over to her stuff under the umbrella. She slipped on her sandals and grabbed her wallet before looping her arm around Sasuke's so they could walk together to the boardwalk. Yes, Sakura would definitely tell Sasuke sometime this week that she loved him.

* * *

After spending a few more hours at the beach, Naruto insisted that they all go out for an early dinner. They settled on eating at a restaurant that was on a pier nearby which served a variety of seafood. Sakura only wished there was a place that had food like this back home.

They drove back to Hinata's beach house and split up to do their own things. Sakura went into the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee and brought it out onto the back porch. Nights on the beach usually got cold so she put on a light-weight hoodie and sat down on a couch outside. She listened to the waves crash onto the beach as she sipped her coffee. The sun began to set, making the sky a mixture of warm colors. She closed her eyes for a second and let the ocean breeze play with her hair. It was quite refreshing considering how hot it had been earlier that day. She heard the screen porch door open and felt someone sit down next to her. It made her smile when that someone laid an arm over her shoulder and kiss her on the top of her head.

"Why are you out here by yourself?" Sasuke asked her.

"It's relaxing," she replied, cuddling up against him. "I like it."

"Hn."

They sat there for awhile, watching the sunset and enjoying each other's company. Sakura swirled around the coffee in her cup and lifted it to her lips to take a sip when Sasuke stole it from her.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, watching the cup go over her head and to Sasuke's other hand.

"I'm thirsty," he said and took a sip.

"Then go get your own that one is mine," the rosette grumbled.

Sasuke's face twisted a little bit and he swallowed the gulp he had taken. He gave Sakura back her cup.

"You can definitely have that back," Sasuke stated. "I don't understand how you can drink that stuff that way."

"What? Black coffee? It's delicious," she mused as she took a swing from the cup.

"It's disgusting that what it is," he muttered.

He sat up and went back into the house leaving Sakura alone again. When he came back, he held a tray in his hands. On it was a cup of coffee (the way he liked it) and a tray of strawberries. Delighted by seeing her favorite fruit, Sakura grabbed a strawberry and stuffed it in her mouth.

"Yummy," she said after she swallowed.

Sasuke nodded and ate one himself. Sakura placed her cup onto a coffee table by her feet and leaned back into the cushion on the couch. This was the moment, the one that she saw in her head. The two of them watching a sunset out on the porch together and alone. She should say it right now or maybe not. Perhaps she should say something that would lead up to her saying "I love you". But what could she say? Nice weather we're having oh and Sasuke I love you? That wouldn't work at all. She bit her lower lip and rested her head on top of her knees.

Then a fear came into her head. What if he didn't return her feelings? She would just be making a fool of herself by confessing her love and he doesn't think of her in the same way. But then again, every action he has done towards her points to the total opposite of the fear she was having.

"Um," she murmured quietly, blushing bright red.

Sasuke looked down at her, waiting intently to know what she was going to say. This only made Sakura blush even more. She began playing with her fingers much like how Hinata would do in an awkward situation and made sure not to make eye-contact with Sasuke. If she looked at him while she was confessing, then she wouldn't be able to say anything at all. It was hard enough as it was just saying it out loud to him. She swallowed hard.

"I...um...well," she struggled to spit out what she was trying to say.

"Sakura," Sasuke said.

"Yeah," Sakura stuttered.

"Look at me."

She hesitated to do so, but eventually did so. His eyes looked soft and kind and there was the slightest tint of pink on his cheeks. He took her hand and laced his fingers in with hers, giving them a little squeeze.

_Say it._ She said to herself. _Say it now. Let it all flow out. _

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but Sasuke silenced her with a kiss. He pulled away and pecked her forehead.

"I love you too," Sasuke said to her with a smirk.

The rosette could just about cry. He knew what she was going to say and even loved her too! It was one of the happiness moments of her life. She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck to hug him. Then she felt his hands rest on her back, rubbing up and down. She was absolutely positive now that this was her favorite Spring Break ever.

* * *

After he had confessed his love to Sakura, Sasuke stayed outside with her on the porch until the sun went completely down. He had been so nervous beforehand, juggling with the decision to display his love now or not. The butterflies were all gone now and it felt nice to actually have his feelings out in the open. It was even better to know that Sakura felt the same though he had known for awhile that she was feeling the same way. By stopping her before she could confess to him first, he had made sure that he had a chance to say it first. To him, it was the male's job to say "I love you" first or else it would be a bit embarrassing to be beaten to it by his girlfriend.

It was getting late so he suggested that they go back inside. He walked with her through the house, holding her hand the entire time. They came up to her room and she opened it. Before he could leave, she turned around in her doorway and stared at him with a wide smile on her face. He couldn't help but lean down and kiss her again.

"Good night," she said as she pulled away.

He smirked, saying, "Night Sakura."

Sasuke kissed her again though this time he couldn't find the strength to pull away from her. He kept kissing her, touching her cheek and running his fingers through her hair. Not once did she tell him to stop. He couldn't understand this new feeling inside of him that he was experiencing. It was like this tug at his heart that was telling him to stay with her, be with her. Sasuke felt like he loved Sakura more than he loved air itself.

They started to back up into her room and he closed the door the best he could with his free hand. Slowly, he made Sakura walk backwards towards her bed and lowered her gently as he placed a kiss on her lips. He didn't let Sakura know this, but inside he was trembling with nerves. Was he really going to do this? Now, with her? Well, he did love her and she felt the same as him. As she started to kiss the corner of his lips he asked, "Sakura, did you want to do this?"

She nodded and pulled him closer. This was it; he really was going to do this. He was going to make love to Sakura. The ultimate joining that would bind their love. Sasuke wanted to do it, to prove that he loved Sakura so much he was willing to go through with this. As he leaned over her to kiss her, he pulled down the zipper of her jacket and let his mind go.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Not really much to say after that. The beach scene was the most fun to write. Lots of fluffy stuff. Look for the next chapter next Sunday and I'll see if this song is on the playlist website. Please review and I'll see you guys next chapter.

**Edit:** Apparently the playlist website doesn't like the Beatles which I don't really understand. They're amazing. Oh well, sorry guys.


	18. Hey, Soul Sister

**Author's Note:**Happy 4th of July to all my American readers and happy Sunday to everyone else. Hope you guys all had a great week. This chapter is a tad short, but longer ones will follow it. Well, enjoy and please review. :)

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 18:

**Hey, Soul Sister**

_"I'm so glad you have  
A one track mind like me  
You give my life direction  
A game show love connection  
We can't deny..."_

_~"Hey, Soul Sister" by Train~_

* * *

Sakura opened her eyes the next morning and lay still in her bed. She brought her sheet up close to her chest, taking in a deep breath as she did so. Angling her neck to the side, she looked to see if Sasuke was still asleep. He was and she blushed as the memory of the night before blossomed in her mind. She regretted nothing about last night though she did not expect it to happen. Sasuke had been her first and she was glad that he was. They loved each other therefore they had decided to prove it to one another.

Sasuke shifted in his sleep and turned so that his back was to her. His back was exposed and she could see shoulder blades move. Sakura gently brushed her back with her fingers; up and down in long strokes. He shuttered at her touch and she sat up in the bed to press her lips on his shoulder. She did not wish to wake him up, only kiss him.

Tossing off the covers, Sakura got out of bed to only find that the room was cold. She reached down to the floor to pick up the first article of clothing that she could find. The shirt she put on was larger than she had realized, falling a bit lower than her waist. Her arms felt so small in the short sleeves and made it look like she had small wings. She recognized the shirt as the one Sasuke had worn last night. Sakura then walked over to her suitcase and pulled out a pair of pajama shorts to wear under the shirt. Content with what she was wearing, she left the room to find the bathroom.

Surprisingly for such a large home, the Hyuuga beach house only had one bathroom built on the second floor. Groggy and in desperate need for a shower, Sakura wandered down the hall. Pictures of Hyuugas from the past as well as the present lined the walls. She even noticed a couple of Hinata and of her cousin Neji. They looked adorable when they were younger and Sakura could just imagine Naruto going crazy over how cute his girlfriend looked while the poor girl would hide her face in embarrassment.

Before long, the rosette found the bathroom and let out a slew of curses upon seeing the door closed. She leaned against the wall and waited until whoever was in there to hurry up. The door clicked open and out came Naruto surrounded by steam. His hair was damp and his clothes stuck to his body due to the heat that had built up during his shower. He ran over his hair with a towel and then shook his head to get the rest of the water out of it. Sakura cleared her throat and he jumped.

"Oh, Sakura! I didn't see you there," Naruto apologized after seeing the spots of water over her. "You can have the bathroom now."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I do hope that you left enough hot water for the rest of the household."

"Sure I did!" Naruto exclaimed. "Well, perhaps enough for you."

Then the blonde gave her the once over. His brow wrinkled and he took a step back as if he was studying her. Sakura crossed her arms in front of her chest and tapped her foot impatiently.

"Where have I seen that shirt before?" he asked though it was directed more towards himself than to Sakura.

Sakura shrugged her shoulders and proceeded to enter the bathroom when she heard him gasp. The look on his face was one of absolute shock.

"T-that's Sasuke's s-shirt," he stuttered. "The one h-he wore yesterday."

"So?" Sakura said, hoping that he didn't notice her cheeks reddening.

A sly smile curled up on his lips. "I wonder where Sasuke is this morning Sakura. Hmm?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it quickly after realizing that she truly didn't know how to respond to him. Resting his arm on the doorframe, Naruto waited for her to answer. Sakura only gripped the doorknob of the bathroom and hoped that he would just leave her alone.

"How did you get his shirt then?" Naruto interrogated her. "Did you steal it from his room while he was sleeping? Or take it off of the floor in your own room?"

"I wonder what Sasuke would say," Sakura suddenly spat out.

The blonde was a bit taken aback. His face twisted with confusion, asking her with his eyes to elaborate.

"What would he say after I tell him that you are pressuring me with all these questions?" she said, smirking. "I hope that he doesn't hurt you too seriously."

Naruto paled and took a few steps back. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, I so would."

With that said the blonde mumbled what sounded like an apology and left Sakura to take her shower in peace. Closing the door, Sakura brushed her teeth and turned the shower on. Stripping down, she went into the shower and jumped back in surprise. The water was icy beyond belief. Naruto had lied through his teeth to her. Narrowing her eyes and wishing that the said blonde was still in earshot, Sakura yelled, "NARUTO!"

* * *

Sakura got her revenge later that day with the help of Mother Nature and Naruto's own stupidity. No matter how many times she and Hinata told him to put on more sunscreen, he had simply brushed the thought aside. He later regretted not doing so. From head to toe, the blonde was burned by the unsympathetic sun. Just the slightest touch put him into a state of extreme irritation. That night he put on aloe like it was a gift from the heavens and Sakura relished in his discomfort.

The next day Naruto had decided that since his burn was so bad, he wouldn't be the one to drive them all back home to Konoha. Hinata had kindly voiced that she would do the driving along with Sakura since the boys had driven to the beach. Naruto was thankful for this and sat back to relax in the passenger seat as Hinata stirred the large car out of the beach town and towards the highway. Sakura knew that Naruto's relaxation wouldn't last very long. There was something about Hinata's driving that the rosette wondered if the blonde and even Sasuke knew about. Turned out that both of them didn't.

One would think that someone as quiet and kind-hearted as Hinata would be a slow and careful driver. She was the exact opposite. The female Hyuuga swerved in and out of traffic like nobody's business. She would honk at slow drivers and even shout words that no one in the car could believe that she knew. Naruto hung onto his seatbelt for security purposes, glancing at his girlfriend ever couple of seconds. His eyes were wide with terror as Hinata almost side-swiped a car in another lane.

"Watch out for that truck!" Naruto shouted as Hinata swerved to the left. "Slow down, slow down, oh my God Hinata slow down!"

"Relax Naruto," Hinata said to him with a smile. "I know what I'm doing."

But Naruto didn't relax and quickly prepared himself for a crash that he hoped would never happen.

"Keep your eyes on the road!" he yelled.

"Naruto, she told you to relax," Sakura said on behalf of Hinata. "She's a good driver."

The blonde turned back to look at her in disbelief. "You think that this is good driving?"

"Well," she started to say.

"For once I actually agree with Naruto," Sasuke voiced, giving up on the nap he was trying to get.

The rosette sighed and shook her head. "Just close your eyes and pretend you're in a racecar or something."

"I don't think that will help-..." Naruto muttered.

"Just do it," Sakura spat.

The blonde did as he was told and in a few minutes he was out cold. Sasuke however, didn't find the technique as successful as his friend. Instead, he turned to listening to his iPod for entertainment and stared out the window as his music poured into his ears. Sakura flipped her cell phone open, checking to see if she had any messages. There were none and she stared at the inbox curiously.

Ino was being strangely silent as of late and had yet to answer any of her messages. Of course, Sakura knew that the blonde was grounded, but that never stopped Ino before. She could only wonder what was going on with her. Sakura texted a message to her, asking if everything was alright, and waited to see if she would get a response. To her surprise, her phone pinged and a bright white digital envelope came up on the screen. It was from Ino. Sakura opened it and read what her best friend had to say.

"Everything is all right now," the text said. "Severely grounded can't really talk."

Smiling, Sakura closed her phone and attempted to fall asleep before her turn to drive.

It was Sakura's job to drive the other half of the way to Konoha. Fortunately for everyone, her driving was a lot safer than Hinata's. They all returned home in one piece. Sakura dropped Hinata off at her house first since it was closest to the off ramp on the highway. Next, she drove towards her house since it would get rid of both herself and Sasuke. All Naruto would have to do was drive himself home.

Sakura turned into her neighborhood and slowly drove down the road. It was then that she began to notice the abundance of cars. They lined the sides of the road, not blocking any of the driveways. The further down the road she went, the more cars there were. She wondered what could possibly be going on that would require this many cars to be here.

"There are a lot of cars," Sasuke said. Naruto nodded in agreement.

"Probably a party going on," Sakura concluded.

However, she was dead wrong. When she came up to her house, she could only gasp. Sasuke groaned from the backseat. Tons of girls waited in front of the Uchiha household, screaming and holding up signs towards the windows. Sakura parked Naruto's car in her driveway and just stared at the girls. They were obviously fan-girls, but how on earth did they find Sasuke's house?

_Oh my God._Sakura said to herself, the answer coming quick into her mind.

She couldn't believe it. The friend she had confined in and loved like a sister had gone so low to blurt out a secret that was never meant to be heard. Sakura felt so betrayed and could only wonder what Sasuke was feeling right now. Sakura held up her hand to her mouth in shock and bit her lower lip.

_Why Ino? Why?_

_

* * *

_

**Author's Note:**So Sasuke's secret has been blown, Sakura's in shock, Naruto's cooked like a Thanksgiving Day's turkey, and Hinata is a scary driver. What a wonder Spring break the gang has had. So, the song that has become this chapter's title is there mostly because it's been stuck in my head almost everyday this week. I guess you can link the part about "You give my life direction" to the girls driving? Oh well, next chapter is on Sunday like it usually is. Have a great week and I'll see you guys next time. Please review. :)


	19. Loose Lips

**Author's Note:** Surprise! Early update, extremely early update. I just sat down at my computer today and found myself typing this entire chapter. Consider it a goft from me to you for reading and reviewing my story. This does not mean that I won't update on sunday. I will update then as well. Enjoy the chapter and please review. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 19:

**Loose Lips**

_"Loose lips might sink ships but loose gooses take trips  
To san francisco, double dutch disco,  
Tech tv hottie, do it for scotty  
Do it for the living and do it for the dead  
Do it for the monsters under your bed  
Do it for the teenagers and do it for your mom  
Broken hearts hurt but they make us strong..."_

_~"Loose Lips" by Kimya Dawson~_

* * *

Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes. His entire lawn flourished with the bodies of young women, chanting his name along with his brother's. Who could have told them where he lived? He looked to Sakura and Naruto in the front seats; the only two people he had ever brought over to his home. Was it possible that one of them let the secret slip out? He wouldn't know unless he asked. However, if he did ask the two of them might feel offended if they were innocent.

Then again, Sasuke shouldn't be too surprised. It was only a matter of time before the fan girls found out where he lived. He only wished that they could have found out much later like when he would go off to college and wouldn't have to deal with it all. But that was a dream and he had to deal with the reality. The girls knew and they didn't look too keen on leaving. Luckily, none of them had seen Sasuke in Naruto's large SUV and he thanked the blonde silently for investing in tinted windows.

"Oh geez," Naruto said as he stared at the horde of girls. "Look at them all."

"Yeah," Sakura quietly breathed.

"I wonder how they found out," the blonde let out, unbuckling his seatbelt. "I didn't tell anyone that's for sure."

Sasuke glanced in Sakura's direction. She hadn't said anything to make herself look remotely innocent in this incident. She bit her lower lip.

"I know how they know," she said.

"What!" Naruto shouted. Sasuke remained calm, waiting for Sakura to explain herself.

"Back in February I kinda told Ino that we were neighbors," the rosette explained as she turned around to look at her boyfriend. "I'm so sorry Sasuke. I didn't know that she would blab about your address. She promised not to say anything."

"Well that promise is obviously shot," Sasuke muttered.

"I'm sorry! I don't know why she would feel the need to talk about it," Sakura said.

"Why would you even think about telling the number one gossip queen at our school in the first place?" Sasuke asked, his voice gaining volume.

"She's my best friend!" Sakura argued back. "I would go hang out with you and she would call wanting to do the same thing, but wouldn't be able to reach me. I felt bad about keeping her in the dark."

The young Uchiha snorted and rolled his eyes. "Some friend she is."

"Hey can you two possibly do this in another spot?" Naruto sheepishly piped up. "I kinda have to get home soon."

"Shut up Naruto," Sasuke and Sakura both spat, staring each other down angrily.

The blonde curled up into a ball and stared out the window impatiently. Sasuke grumbled to himself. How could Sakura be so foolish to tell Ino? She should have known better than to tell the queen of gossip herself. But no, she felt bad leaving Ino in the dark and had to spit out his most closely kept secret to her best friend. It made him distrust Sakura a little bit. He felt like he couldn't tell her anything or else she would just go and tell Ino a second later.

"Seriously, what were you thinking Sakura?" Sasuke protested. "Why would you do something so stupid?"

Sakura looked a little taken aback, her eyes a tad watery. Sasuke regretted speaking to her that way, but he was so mad that it hadn't clicked in his head that the whole thing was a minor accident. Sakura flashed her pearly whites in a heated snarl, narrowing her flaming emerald eyes at him. The young Uchiha mentally smacked himself in the head for briefly thinking that even in an angered state, Sakura was beautiful. He was letting himself get distracted.

"What was I thinking?" she parroted him. "I don't know perhaps I was thinking that I could trust someone close to me to keep a secret."

"I'm sorry, was that supposed to be targeted at me?" Sasuke sparred. "If you haven't realized Sakura, I did trust you with that secret and you blabbed it to Ino."

"But I didn't think that she would say anything!" she whined. "God, we keep circling around this issue, but we're doing nothing to resolve it."

"Then resolve it," he said. "You started this avalanche sweetheart; you can be the one to fix it."

Sakura let out a hearty laugh and shook her head. "Don't use pet names with me right now Sasuke. It's very belittling."

"I'll talk to you in form that I want to," was his response.

"And you can't tell me what to do," she shot at him. "Look you can resolve this on your own. I'm getting out of the car."

Sasuke huffed and folded his arms across his chest. He stared at Sakura in disbelief. Was she really going to let him deal with this by himself? It was her fault that this all had happened.

"Like hell you are," he said.

As Sakura unbuckled her seatbelt in the driver's seat, she refused to look in his direction. Her hands fumbled with the belt and when she finally got herself loose, she unlocked the car.

"When you're done being bitter and childish Sasuke, you know where to find me," Sakura growled. "Then we can talk about this in a more mature manner."

She glanced over to Naruto and gave him an apologetic look, touching his arm lightly.

"I'm sorry that I yelled at you Naruto," the rosette said with a weak smile. "And I'm also sorry that Sasuke and I had to have our little disagreement in your car."

Sasuke snorted and stared out the window. Sakura glared at him. For a second, in the corner of Sasuke's eye, it looked like she had started to cry. Like he could sense the tension in the vehicle, Naruto waved Sakura off.

"It's fine Sakura," he said. "I'll see you later."

Sakura nodded and left the car to go towards the trunk to grab her stuff. Sasuke stayed in his seat, not even thinking about going outside to offer his girlfriend some help with her luggage. Naruto shook his head at him disapprovingly and opened his car door.

"I know the fan girls are out there, but that doesn't mean you have to be an ass and not help your girlfriend with her stuff," Naruto roughly stated. When Sasuke didn't say anything, Naruto grumbled under his breath and got out of the car.

The blonde helped Sakura pull her suitcase out of the trunk, but was politely dismissed when he asked if she wanted him to carry it to the front door for her. Sakura walked up to her front door, digging into her shorts to find her keys. Sasuke watched her from his seat. He wondered if she knew that he was staring at her, if she could feel his eyes on her back. He blew air out of his nose, wrinkling it with abhorrence. Naruto got back into his car, this time into the driver's seat. He took a deep breath and looked back at Sasuke in the rearview mirror.

"So what are you going to do?" he asked the brooding teen. "Are you getting out here or do you want to stay at my place until they all leave?"

Just as Sasuke was about to open his mouth, a loud voice disturbed his thoughts.

"Hey ladies!"

The sing-songy voice was so familiar to him. Sasuke glanced over towards the Haruno household, seeing Sakura standing in the doorway with her hands circling her mouth like a megaphone. There was no mistaking what she was about to do.

"Sasuke's in that black SUV over there!" she shouted. "He's too shy to come out and see you, but I bet if you coax him enough, he'll come out."

The girls screamed and rushed towards the parked car in Sakura's driveway. Sasuke groaned as they approached.

"Who's being childish now Sakura?" he griped to himself.

"Oh dude," was all that Naruto could think to say.

Naruto put his car into reverse and swiveled his behemoth of a car out of the driveway before the girls could get to them. Quickly switching the gears into drive, Naruto sped out of the neighborhood and out towards his own home. Sasuke sunk in his seat and stared at the car's ceiling in distress. She just had to make things worst for him didn't she? Sasuke knew that the girls would never leave, at least not until he found a way to make them. That would take some careful planning if required.

"You can stay at my house for as long as you need to," his friend said.

"Thanks Naruto," Sasuke replied. "I'll call Itachi later to see when they all leave."

The blonde nodded and turned right at a stoplight. Sasuke gazed out the window, thinking to himself.

_I'm so screwed._

* * *

Sakura knew the second she said it, that it was childish. Letting all those girls know that Sasuke was hiding from them right under their noses. She watched them flock over to Naruto's car and his swift movements to avoid them. She shouldn't have said anything, but feeling as mad as she was now, it just felt right to do so. Later, whenever Sasuke felt like talking to her again, she would apologize.

She kicked off her sandals and sighed. Her house was completely quiet. A week ago, her mother had left to go visit her father off wherever he was and wouldn't be back until next week. Sakura would be home alone for awhile. It wasn't unnerving or anything, but after being in a house full of people, it was a dramatic change.

Carrying her stuff upstairs to her room, Sakura tried to think of a reason that would make Ino believe that she could reveal Sasuke's secret. Sakura wasn't sure if she did anything to make Ino angry though that wasn't a good enough reason for Ino to spill the beans. However, Sakura knew that Ino was capable of going so low to hurt someone. She had done it before.

Back in the forth grade, when the girls first met, Ino was being made fun of by another girl. Because her name literally meant "pig", the girl was telling everyone that Ino was in fact a pig. Kids would point up their noses in a pig-like manner whenever Ino would walk by, causing her to be put into a reserved state for some time. It was one of the few times that Sakura had seen Ino in a weak state of mind. Then one day, that all changed. At recess, Ino told the whole class that the girl who had been calling Ino a pig had a sixth toe on both feet and didn't bathe. It was completely untrue, but give any young child ammo to destroy someone and they'll do it. The girl never bothered Ino again.

Sakura dropped her suitcase on her bed and opened it. She tossed her clothes into different piles so that she could wash them later. Taking her phone out of her pocket, she flipped it open and stared at the digital screen. It was thirty minutes after one. If Sakura was correct, Ino would be almost done with her shift at her parents' flower shop. The rosette would run by the Yamanaka's home later to confront the blonde about the betrayal.

It still didn't make sense to Sakura why her friend would do this to her. It was ruining her relationship with Sasuke. However, Sakura figured that she should have told Sasuke earlier about Ino now being in the loop with his secret. And Sakura did have no right to tell Ino without consulting it first with her boyfriend. It wasn't her secret to tell and just another reason why she should apologize to Sasuke though she had already done so an hour ago.

Why didn't he understand that she felt bad keeping Ino in the dark? Didn't he tell his close friends secrets as well? She suspected that Naruto probably knew a few things that she had told Sasuke in confidence. They would be even then. The way Sasuke had acted in the car suggested otherwise and made Sakura feel the slightest bit guilty. She didn't think that it was right that he had to get so angry at her in front of Naruto like that. This whole thing was none of Naruto's business and he shouldn't have to hear it. Plus, how immature was that whole sulking thing Sasuke was doing when she was getting out of the car? He could have at least gotten out of the car on the other side where the girls couldn't see him. Instead, he just stayed in the car like a child and watching her the entire time.

Sakura grabbed the nearest pillow on her bed and sat down as she screamed into it. How mad she was at both Sasuke and Ino! Holding the pillow to her face, Sakura laid down on her bed and let herself cry.

"Great, just great," she muttered to no one. "Now I'm crying."

Sitting up, she wiped her eyes and settled her head back on the pillow. This entire ordeal was so irritating. Sakura flipped open her phone again to check the time. Ino would be getting off work now. Growling, Sakura sat up from her bed and straightened her clothes. Fixing her make-up in her mirror, Sakura grabbed her car keys from the kitchen counter and headed outside. Fan girls still gathered around the Uchiha household. In the upper window, Sakura could see Itachi staring out from behind the curtains. He noticed Sakura staring at him and shook his head, nudging it towards the girls. Sakura gave him a remorseful shrug and got into her car. Itachi and Sasuke both didn't deserve their privacy intruded. Slowly pulling her car out of the driveway, Sakura revved the small car into drive and sped out of the neighborhood.

"I'm coming for you Ino," she said, her voice full of rage. "And when I do, you better have a good explanation for this."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Ino's gonna get it, that's for sure. It's going to be fun writing Sakura's and her's interaction. Do any of you remember the song in the title? It's from the movie Juno if you've seen it. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and this time I really will talk to you guys next chapter. Review if you liked it. :)


	20. Secret

**Author's Note:** It's pretty much midnight where I am as I post this and I simply couldn't wait any longer. So here it is, the next chapter of Neighbors. There is also an added bonus because TADA! I'm making this a double update. Go forth and enjoy! ;)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 20:

**Secret**

_"Why when do our darkest deeds do we tell?  
They burn in our brains,  
Become a living hell.  
Because everybody tells..."_

_~"Secret" by The Pierces~_

_

* * *

_

When Sakura pulled up to the Yamanaka's driveway, she was beyond fuming. She stepped out of her car and slammed the door shut. Her shoes squeaked on the concrete as she stomped to the front door. Knocking on the front door, the rosette contemplated her next move and waited for Ino to come answer the door. Sakura figured that she couldn't simply accuse Ino of her betrayal right on the spot. She would start conversing with Ino first and then slowly begin to question her about the fan girls on Sasuke's lawn.

The said blonde opened the door a moment later and slouched against the door with a hand on her hip. Her eyes grazed up and down Sakura's body, putting up a grin right after. Sakura pursed her lips into a thin line, crossing her arms over her chest. She blew air out of her nose to supress the feeling of wanting to strangle Ino were she stood.

"Hello Sakura, back from the beach already?" Ino said cheerfully. "Would you like to come in?"

Sakura nodded and pushed pass the blonde to get inside. She looked around foyer for a quick second before giving Ino her complete attention.

"So how have you been lately Ino?" she asked. "For awhile you weren't quite yourself at school. You barely talked to anyone."

"Oh, well I wasn't feeling very well," Ino explained. "That and I knew that my grades weren't going to be great by Spring Break like I wanted them to be."

"I see," Sakura said. "Well I have the weirdest news to tell you."

"Really? What?" the blonde pressed.

The rosette wasn't to keen on Ino's fake tone. It was easy to tell that she was using it.

"Apparently someone found out Sasuke's address and told all his fan girls where he lives," Sakura went on. "His entire lawn is covered with them. He has no idea who could have told on him."

Ino's eyes went wide and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"That's horrible!" she cried. "I wonder who could have told them."

Narrowing her emerald eyes, Sakura took a step closer to her slender blonde friend. Also crossing her arms, she tilted her head forward and stared at Ino distastefully.

"I think I have an idea," Sakura blatantly stated.

Sakura didn't say anything more on the issue and waited for Ino to take it all in. At first the blonde looked shocked, giving the girl across from her a curious glance. Then she gawked with a hand pressed against her heart, snorting.

"Wait, you think that I told Sasuke's little secret to everyone?" Ino asked, looking hurtful.

Shaking her head, Sakura responded, "No Ino, I know that you told."

The blonde chuckled, her long hair flowing with the movement of the laugh. She then put on a straight face and darted her ice blue eyes.

"You have no proof of that," she retorted.

Raising her eyebrows in surprise, Sakura circled in closer to her friend.

"So what exactly did I do to you Ino?" Sakura asked. "What on earth could I have done to piss you off so much? Did I forget to return a pair of shoes or something like that? I don't really understand. You're my best friend Ino and I wouldn't ever do anything to hurt you deliberately."

Ino's head lowered and her upper lip curled back into a snarl. Her white teeth a distinct difference to the bold red lipstick she wore. Fists tight against her side, Ino spoke.

"You hugged her."

At first, Sakura didn't quite comprehend what the blonde was talking about. This was all because of a hug? A hug had made Ino spill the beans? Sakura finally caught on to what her friend had meant. Ino had seen Sakura and Temari hugging and felt betrayed due to the fact that the blonde had a strong hate for Temari. However, Ino didn't know the entire story and just went ahead on telling everyone that Sasuke was Sakura's neighbor without finding out why her enemy and best friend had hugged. It was so frivolous that it made the rosette extremely upset.

"This is all because of Temari?" Sakura clarified, seeing if she was indeed right.

"You hugged her despite the fact that you know I hate everything about her," Ino spat, a glistening of tears developing at the corner of her eyes. "I can't believe that you would do that even though I told you that I didn't want you to talk to her. Geez Sakura, you talked to her backstage as well huh? Why would you do that?"

"You don't understand," Sakura started to say.

"Like hell I don't," Ino snarled. "You betrayed me Sakura therefore I betrayed you."

"An eye for an eye? Ino, you idiot," the rosette projected. "There was a reason why I hugged her."

Ino rolled her eyes and tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for Sakura to explain. Sighing, Sakura went on.

"We were both happy that we made it through to the dance finals," Sakura explained. "And backstage she told me something that would make you extremely happy. I was excited for you and for making it through to the next round that I hugged her."

"I doubt that anything coming from her would make me cheerful," Ino muttered. "She has taken Shikamaru from me tons of times. There is nothing from her mouth that I would find compelling."

"What if she said that she let Shikamaru go and doesn't want to be his girlfriend ever again?' Sakura proclaimed. "What if she noticed that Shikamaru wants to be with you more than her? She said that he's chosen you."

"If he has chosen me, then he would have come crawling back to my doorstep by now," the blonde shot out. "If he wants me so bad, I would be with him by now."

The rosette rubbed her temples and squeezed the bridge of her nose. Ino was being incrediblely difficult. It was beginning to give Sakura a headache.

"Maybe he's conflicted on how to tell you that he wants you back. I don't really know Ino, but I do know that I didn't intend to betray you. You have to understand that," Sakura said.

"Whatever," Ino replied.

Taken aback, Sakura glared at Ino. "That's it? Whatever? You spill my boyfriend's secret to everyone and all you can say is whatever?"

The blonde shrugged and picked at her nails. She was really starting to irritate Sakura. Even after giving Ino the complete story, she was still distrustful on her pink-headed friend. It was unbelieveable on how well Ino could hold a grudge. The blonde then raised a hand to studied the french manicure that was beginning to chip.

"Yes, whatever," she sighed. "I spilled the beans so what? You know that I love to gossip yet you told me Sasuke's secret anyway. It's not only my fault that the girls are on your precious boyfriend's lawn. You have a part to play in his discomfort."

"Why didn't you come and talk to me about Temari in the first place? All of this could have been avoided," Sakura snapped. "Sasuke is so mad at me right now. He's never yell at me before, at least not like this. I'm not even sure if he's going to break up with me or not."

"Oh please, don't give me that sob story," the blonde snorted.

"How does it feel Ino?" Sakura questioned her. "How does it feel knowing that you might have caused your best friend's break up to the one guy she truly loves?"

Ino laughed which made the other girl a tad uncomfortable. She got up close to Sakura's face and wickedly smirked. Sakura didn't like the look in her friend's eyes. There was something evil growing in them.

"I don't feel that bad to tell the truth," she smiled. "I mean are you so dense to think that you and Sasuke would actually last any longer? I'm surprised that you guys lasted this long. It's highschool Sakura, you don't really love him. You only think that you do."

The slap came out of nowhere and Ino looked stunned after it happened. Sakura watched as a red welt appeared on the blonde's face. Her hand lowered and Sakura let the tears that had been held back for so long fall down her cheeks. Ino opened her mouth to say something, but closed it shut quickled after realizing that there was nothing she could really think of to say in retaliantion.

"Has your break-up with Shikamaru made you bitter?" the rosette growled. "There is nothing but pure hatred inside you Ino Yamanaka. You have finally hit rock bottom that it only seems appropriate that you make your friends feel the same pain that you feel."

"I-," Ino started to say, finally gaining the power to speak again. However, Sakura interrupted her.

"I cannot fathom why I am even friends with someone like you. What on earth was I thinking," she said, heading towards the front door.

The blonde grunted in disgust. "You're only friends with me because you're jealous."

Gripping the door knob, Sakura spun around and let out a hearty laugh. She shook her head in disbelief.

"You got that backwards Ino. I think that you're the one who's jealous," Sakura hurled at her. "And it got the better of you in the end."

"Bitch," Ino muttered. It was a stupid response, perhaps the best Ino could think of at the moment. Sakura pitied her greatly.

"Keep digging that grave," Sakura stated. "God knows you're good at it."

With that said, Sakura opened the front door and walked outside. She slammed the door shut, not even taking the time to let Ino talk to her again. Getting into her car, Sakura slummed against the stirring wheel and cried some more. Her best friend, rather ex-best friend, had been unreasonable with her. The whole Temari thing had been explained, what more did Ino want from her? A bigger and better apology? She wasn't getting one now, not after what she had said about Sakura's relationship with Sasuke.

Speaking of Sasuke, was he going to break up with her? He knew that the fan girl thing was an accident. Sakura had said that she was sorry and yet she didn't know where she stood with the boy. He needed space right now and she would give it to him. She only wished that he wouldn't break up with her.

Wiping her eyes, Sakura turned on her car and pulled out of the driveway. There was no way that she wanted to spend anymore time at the Yamanaka household. She drove down the street for awhile, not really paying attention to where her hands were taking her. Before long she knew where she was and directed herself into a neighborhood. She moved the car down to a white house with green shutters, Sakura stared at the car in the driveway.

She had come to Naruto's house without realizing it and parked by the curb. The male blonde lived there with his guardian after his parents died a long time ago. He lived there all his life and now Sasuke had harbored himself inside. Sakura got out of her car and walked up to the front door. Raising her fist up to knock on the door, she hovered above the thick piece of wood. She couldn't do it. For some odd reason, Sakura couldn't knock on the door. She didn't want to talk to Sasuke nor see him for that matter. Pivoting around, the girl sauntered back to her car and turned her vehicle around in the driveway across the street. Little did she know that Sasuke had watched her the entire time.

* * *

It was late at night when Sasuke finally got the call from his brother that it was safe to return home. He dug his key into the deadbolt lock and looked over to Sakura's house. The light was on in her room and he knew that she was there alone. Sighing, he walked into his own home and locked the door behind him. Itachi was lounging on the couch in the living room when he came home and waved hello to Sasuke as he stared at the TV. Sasuke nodded in his direction and went to the kitchen for a snack. The only problem about staying at Naruto's house was the fact the blonde lacked any good snacks. It was all about ramen with him.

He grabbed a soda and poured himself a bowl of chips before sitting next to his brother on the couch. He set the bowl of chips on the coffee table at his feet. Itachi reached over and took a chip from the bowl. The brothers took turns taking food from the table as they watched TV. It was Itachi who spoke first.

"It's been a crazy week," he blankly said.

"Only going to get crazier," Sasuke pointed out. "They're not going to go away."

"True, but we'll find a way eventually," Itachi assured his younger brother. "You can always tell them that you have a girlfriend."

Sasuke shook his head and took a sip from his soda. Itachi rose a dark brow.

"Sakura told her blabbermouth friend Ino where we live," Sasuke explained roughly. "Then her friend got mad at Sakura for some reason and told everyone that I'm Sakura's neighbor."

"Oh," Itachi said. "Well, maybe she'll help you get rid of them. I mean, I bet she's sorry that she told her friend your secret."

The younger Uchiha snorted and sat back against the couch. "I doubt that now. Sort of yelled at her after we got home for it even after she apologized."

Itachi made a tsk-tsk sound with his tongue and sat up. He stretched his arms and took the now empty bowl off the coffee table.

"What are you going to do now?" he asked. "Are you going to blow off some more steam before talking to her again?"

Sasuke nodded and changed the channel on the TV until he found a show worth watching.

"Better not wait too long before you talk to her again," Itachi advised his brother. "She might think that you are so angry at her that you want to break up."

"But I don't want to break up," Sasuke said, though he had said it to an empty room.

* * *

**Author's Note:** My sister and I fight like Ino and Sakura sometimes. Though my style is a mixture of Sakura and Ino (mostly her though) while my sister is strictly like Sakura. I guess that's what influenced how I wrote the fight then. On another note, the song in the title is also the opening theme to Pretty Little Liars (a book and recently made tv show, the later being a guilty pleasure of mine). I'll put the song on the playlist. And remember, this is a double update so look for the next chapter.


	21. My Lady's House

**Author's Note:** Remember its a double update and please enjoy. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 21:

**My Lady's House**

_"It is good in my lady's house  
And the shape that her body makes  
Love is a fragile word  
In the air on the wrinkly lane..."_

_~"My Lady's House" by Iron and Wine~_

_

* * *

_

Spring Break ended and Sakura went back to school without saying anything to Sasuke. It felt strange to break her daily rountine and not say good morning to the young Uchiha like she usually did. Instead, she walked out to car every day with a blank look and drove to school in silence. Lunch was almost unbearable and Ino was as cold as ever. Sakura only stayed at the table for Tenten's and Hinata's company, keeping Ino's betrayal as her own business rather than burden it on her other two friend's shoulders. Ino stayed just to annoy Sakura with her presence; that and because Hinata and Tenten were her friends are well.

When Friday came around, Sakura was overjoyed. Finally she would have some peace and quiet for herself instead of having to worry about school work. She lounged around her empty home in a pair of sweats and a cami, shuffling her feet on the hardwood floor. A phone was pressed to her ear as she made her way into the kitchen.

"I'm fine mom," she assured her mother on the other side of the phone. "You can stay another week with dad if you want. I really don't mind."

"But I don't like leaving you at home by yourself for very long sweetheart," Mrs. Haruno said. "Are you sure you don't want me to come home."

Sakura placed a bag of popcorn into the microwave and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge while she waited for the popcorn to pop. She unscrewed the top of the bottle and guzzled some of it down.

"Stay another week with dad," the rosette insisted. "Really, I'll be okay on my own. Consider it practice for when I go away for college or whatever."

The silence on the receiving end suggested that her mother still wasn't too keen on leaving her only child alone for much longer. The microwave beeped and Sakura took out the popcorn so that she could put it into a bowl. Tapping her foot, she tossed a piece of popcorn into her mouth.

Sighing, her mother answered, "Alright, I'll see you next week then. Love you sweetie."

"Love you too, bye mom," Sakura said as she hung up the phone.

She then went into the living room and plopped herself onto the couch to watch a movie. Thunder roared outside and Sakura groaned. Though she loved the sound of rain at night, she wasn't practically welcomed on the idea of watching a movie during a storm. It sort of took away from the movie experience by adding unneccesary sounds. Lighting cracked and shone through the curtains when her movie started to play.

Suddenly, an even louder crack sounded and the home's entire electricity went out. Sakura cursed and went back into the kitchen to grab a flashlight that was kept in the pantry. Her mother liked to keep emergency items in hallway closets and the pantry just to be safe against any situation. Luckily, the flashlight worked and Sakura made her way up stairs. The phones probably didn't work so she would have to grab her cell phone just in case she would ever need it. Going into her room, she grabbed the device and headed back down.

Midstep, Sakura halted all movement and listened. She thought that she just heard someone walking on the hardwood floors downstairs. The floor creaked, making it sound like the footsteps were coming closer and closer. Not really wanting to find out what was coming her way, the rosette raced back upstairs and shut her door. Her heart was racing and she gripped onto the flashlight like it was a holy relic. She couldn't hear the footsteps any longer, but didn't want to take her chances by exiting the room.

However, what if there was someone in her house? She had no way to defend herself. The flashlight she held in her hand was tiny and made of cheap plastic. It wouldn't hurt anyone if used as a weapon. She needed to call someone. Opening up her phone, she called the first number she could think of though it was not the authorities that she had dialed.

"Hello?" Sasuke greeted her on the phone.

Sakura sighed in relief. Sasuke's cellphone was still working.

"Sasuke, it's me," she quickly told him. "I need your help."

"Calm down Sakura, what's wrong?"

Gulping, Sakura sat on her bed and made herself as small as possible.

"I think that there is someone in my house," Sakura cried into the phone. "I'm really scared."

"Stay in your room and wait for me to get there," he said. "I'll be there soon."

"There's an emergency key underneath a flower pot by the door for you to use," she replied. "And please hurry."

They hung up and Sakura started to breath really fast. She rocked herself on her bed and waited for Sasuke to come safe her in some sense of the word. Then she started to hear noises and she froze. Was Sasuke in her house or was the intruder still downstairs? Whoever was there, they were now coming up the stairs. Sakura whimpered and grabbed a pillow for comfort though there was no reason to have it since it did little to help her.

Her door knob started to turn and Sakura held her breath. Heart thumping in her chest, the rosette anxiously waited for the person on the other side of her door to come in. Her hands shook and sweat developed on her forehead. Sakura was one hundred percent terrified for her life. The door to her room jerked open and the breath she was holding came out in the form of a scream. She closed her eyes, refusing to see who had entered her room. Her arms rose up to protect her face and she continued to scream for her life. Hands gripped her arms, trying to force them down and she fought hard to be free.

"Sakura it's me," a masculine voice stated. "It's Sasuke."

Sakura opened her eyes to see Sasuke standing in front of her with a worried glance. She felt jittery all over after finally knowing that her house was safe. Crying in relief, she fell into Sasuke's arms and clung to his body as he rubbed her back soothingly.

"It's okay, I'm here now. Nothing's going to hurt you," he calmly said. "Ssh, it's okay."

"I thought that you were the intruder," Sakura sort of laughed.

Sasuke smirked and pushed her off so that she could see his face. He took her hand and massaged the knuckles.

"There isn't anyone in your house Sakura. I checked before I came upstairs. It was only your imagination."

The rosette sighed in relief and hugged Sasuke once again.

"Thank you for coming Sasuke," she said. "I didn't know who else to call."

The young man rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Well there is the police, 911, and perhaps the national guard though I sure that they wouldn't be so quick to answer your call. Anyway, they are all people whose job it is to protect people from home invaders."

When Sakura bit her lower lip in embarrassment, Sasuke's outlook became more serious.

"I am glad you called me though," he said. "There isn't anything that I wouldn't do to make sure that you're safe."

"Really?"

Sasuke nodded and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, giving them a tight squeeze.

"Really," he replied. Then he looked around her room and at how dark it all was. "You probably shouldn't stay here tonight. Not by yourself."

Sakura agreed with him. It was too dark for her taste and it was a bit unsettling to be in a dark house by herself. The idea of having someone familiar in the house sounded nice. However, did Sasuke mean that he stay at her home or mean to take Sakura over to his? It was very unclear.

"Are you saything that you want to stay over here?" Sakura asked him.

"Actually, I was going to take you over to my place, but if you want to stay here then I will too," Sasuke said.

It seemed reasonable enough. Staying at her house would remove the awkwardness of waking up in his home and seeing his family in the morning. She voted that they stay in her house and Sasuke agreed as he went into the hallway to call his family to tell him what he was doing. As he did this, Sakura figured that Sasuke was going to need some sort of bedding to sleep on while he stayed. The guest bedroom was out of the question since her mother liked to use the room for storage rather than guests. And her parents' room was off limits due to the fact that she didn't like the thought of Sasuke sleeping in the same bed her parents would use.

Going into her closet, she pulled out a sleeping bag that she kept for when her friends would spend the night. She unrolled it on the floor and tossed one of her pillows on top. Sitting atop her own bed, she waited for Sasuke to return.

She had completely forgotten before, but she was still a little angry at her boyfriend at the way he spoke to her after returning from the beach. The thought of his disapproving face made her feel unnerved by the fact that he was staying in her room. Even though she felt this way, her anger was slowly melting and the scary thought of him wanting to break up with her seemed to float away. Would he barge into her room and comfort her the way he had done before if he wanted to break up with her? Sakura didn't really think so and it made her slightly smile. She would apologize to him again when he came back and tell him that she was wrong to tell Ino his secret.

Sasuke walked back into the room and pointed at the sleeping bag with a raised brow.

"Is that for me?" he asked.

"You don't want the guest room trust me," Sakura warned. Then her voice got a little softer and she began to play with her fingers. "I'm sorry Sasuke."

Sasuke sat on the sleeping bag and got a confused look on his face. "For what? Calling me late at night? You don't have to apologize for that."

Sakura shook her head. "No, I'm sorry for what happened last week. I had no right in telling Ino about your home and it was childish of me to point the fan girls in your direction when we got home. I'm really sorry about that."

At first, Sasuke didn't say anything. He had something worked up in his own mind that he was trying to firgure out how to say.

"No, I'm sorry for how I acted about it. It was an accident and you really didn't know that Ino would tell," he proclaimed. "I acted like an ass the entire time you were trying to apologize. Though I shouldn't have been too surprised by the girls on my lawn. It was bound to happen eventually."

"So we're all good? Not mad anymore?" Sakura questioned though she knew the answer.

"It's probably safe to say that we can put it behind us now," Sasuke said.

Sakura nodded and slid herself off her bed right next to Sasuke. She took his hands and pulled him close for a kiss. Parting, she said, "Of course we can."

She yawned and went to get back onto her bed when Sasuke grabbed her hand, pulling her back towards him. He held on to her from behind and rocked her as he tucked his head beside her neck. Sakura lifted an arm to run her fingers in his hair, pressing him closer to her body. His hands drew circles on her cami and she chuckled on how much it tickled.

"I missed your scent," he whispered into her ear.

"Hm," was all that she could say. She like the feeling of his breath in her ear.

"I missed hearing your voice," he went on.

Sakura couldn't say anything in response and only smiled as he spoke.

"But the thing I missed most of all was being able to hold you in my arms and now that your real," he purred in her ear.

The rosette's cheeks grew hot and she tilted his head towards her. Giving him a long, breathless kiss, Sakura nuzzled her body against him. Sasuke held onto her tighter.

"Stay down here with me tonight," he suggested. "Keep me warm."

If her cheeks weren't red before, they were tomato red now.

"Well since you missed me so much, I think that I will," she said playfully. She yawned and escaped his grasp so that she could lie down.

Sakura thought that Sasuke would immediately follow in suit, but instead, stayed upright and stared down at her. She gazed right back up at him, twisted her body so that she could better see him. He tilted his head to the side like was studying her, eyes trailing every part of her body. Furrowing her brow yet smiling, Sakura asked, "What? Something wrong?"

He must of been in a trane since he shook his head and stated, "No, nothing's wrong" like he had something on his mind. Slowly, Sasuke removed his shirt and exposed his muscular stomach to the pink-haired girl below. Then he unbuckled his pants and neatly tossed them to the side after kicking off his shoes leaving his boxers as the only article of clothing on his body. Sakura cursed at him silently, damning him for his athletic figure and handsome looks. She hadn't expected him to stripped down that much though in a way she didn't mind it that much. Sasuke carefully lowered himself next to Sakura and cradled her in his arms. His chin rested on her shoulder and his arms wrapped around her middle. Sakura reached down and took one of his hands in her own before letting herself fall asleep.

* * *

As his girlfriend slept, Sasuke stayed awake a little bit longer. He liked the feeling of just holding Sakura since her form fit just right against his own. She was snored lightly in her sleep and Sasuke rubbed his thumb over her hand that held his in a relaxing motion.

He couldn't believe that she had called him of all people to come over and help her. The police would have been his first choice of assistance if he thought someone was in his house. However, he was glad that she called him. It meant that she felt like he was more important to call in an emergency situation then the police. The notion had made him feel needed and dare he say it but a little heroic as well. Sakura wanted him to be there with her, to tell her that everything was safe and going to be okay. He always felt like it was his duty to protect her and what a better way to show her that he cared by coming over when she asked for him to be.

Sakura inhaled a deep breath and moved around in her sleep. Sasuke released his grasp from her so that she could better move and had expected her to distance herself from him. He was quite wrong and the rosette turned around and unconsiously snaked her arms under his, pulling her body towards his. Her head rested under his chin and she rubbed her cheek against his chest as she tried to make herself comfortable. Smirking, Sasuke rested his arms on her shoulders and let his eyes close for a peaceful sleep.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Aww, they made up and became all fluffy. So I have decided to no longer update on Sundays. Instead, the updates are going to be more random and hopeful more abundant. I'm going away to college soon and I would like Neighbors to end before then. It's a goal I'm going to try to keep, but if I fail then it just means that I'll have to fit in updates with my school work. But that won't happen for awhile and therefore I will update like crazy if I can. That might mean double updates like this one, updates back to back, or ones that are updated with few days inbetween. Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed your double update and please review. :)


	22. Young Folks

**Author's Note:** Hello my lovelies, I come to you with another chapter ready for you to read. Enjoy! :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 22:

**Young Folks**

_"If I told you things I did before _  
_Told you how I used to be _  
_Would you go along with someone like me?_  
_If you knew my story word for word _  
_Had all of my history _  
_Would you go along with someone like me?"_

_~"Young Folks" by Peter Bjorn and John~_

* * *

A familiar warmth greeted Sakura when she woke up the next morning. Lying on her side, she attempted to look up at the ceiling as she adjusted her eyes to the room. She stretched her arms and made sure that she didn't hit Sasuke when she did. Legs all tangled together, Sakura gently pulled hers out of the mix and started to get up. Sasuke grabbed her wrist and tugged her back down. She giggled as wrapped his arms around her middle and snuggled against her chest pretending to sleep.

For awhile, she let him hold her and wondered if he could hear her heart beating a million miles a second. She brushed his messy morning hair with her fingers, only to make it worst. Then she pried his hands off of her waist and stood up before he could pull her back down. Sasuke lay on his back with his arms outstretched and stared at her like he didn't want her to go. However, Sakura had other ideas and decided that she would make breakfast for the two of them. She was about to walk away, but one short glance at Sasuke changed her mind.

Never would she have thought that Sasuke would be capable of pulling off a decent puppy-dog look. It was somewhat pitiful though very cute at the same time. The look worked and Sakura came back towards him. She gave now notion of what she was planning to do and pressed a hand against Sasuke's chest to push him back down as he sat up. Her thin legs straddled his waist and descended down on him with a lustful grin. He had surprised her last night, now it was her turn to surprise him.

She kissed the tip of his nose and the length of his jaw. Sasuke's fingers lightly touched her back when Sakura pecked the lobe of his ear. With all the love she could muster, she finally made her way to his lips and planted as many kisses as she could on them. Just as he was starting to get into the action, Sakura began to pull herself away. He didn't want her to, but Sakura did it anyway.

"Don't leave," he mumbled in between kisses.

"I have to go make breakfast," she chuckled as she unwrapped his arms.

"No you don't."

"Yes I do because I want to," the rosette explained. "Why don't you take a shower or maybe put your clothes back on in the meantime? I'll have breakfast ready for you in no time."

She left the room before he could tempt her further and practically skipped into the kitchen due to how happy she was. Not only had she made up with Sasuke, but he had spent the night in her room. She liked waking up in his arms and knowing that he was going to be there right next to her.

In the kitchen, pans clang together as she pulled out the ones she wanted to use. She turned on the stove and placed a piece of butter on a pan to melt. Upon opening the fridge, Sakura was delighted to notice that her electricity was back on. Perhaps some electrical workers had come during the night or early morning to fix the problem. Sakura cracked a few eggs into a bowl and beat them together to make scrambled eggs. She then poured the mixed eggs into the pan and went on to her next dish. Placing strips of bacon on a new pan, she let the meat sizzle to perfection. Sakura split her attention between both dishes and put them on separate plates for serving purposes. In the pantry, Sakura took out a loaf of bread and tossed them into a toaster.

By now, Sasuke had come downstairs fully clothed in what he had worn the day before. His hair was a little droopy since he had just taken a shower and went behind Sakura to make some coffee. He poured the hot liquid into two mugs and sat down at the table as Sakura set all the food down in front of them. Fresh plates were already settled there and Sasuke immediately dished himself a little bit of everything Sakura made. The two of them sat in silence though it wasn't because they didn't have anything to talk about, but rather that the food was delicious.

When her plate was clean, Sakura took her time to sip the remaining coffee left in her mug and watched Sasuke make himself another plate. She arched a pink brow and set her mug down.

"Okay, my cooking can't be that good," she said as Sasuke wolfed down a bite. "I mean, yeah it was decent, but I couldn't eat a second helping of it."

"I think that it's good," Sasuke replied. "You have the potential of making some lucky guy very fat in the future."

"Oh really?" she asked slyly. "I could make him fat? I hope that he could forgive me then since I had no intention of making him that way."

Then Sakura really thought about what Sasuke had said. Was he insinuating something by that comment? She truly hoped that she wasn't over thinking the whole thing, but still it made her wonder. Sakura opened her mouth to say something else; however it was interrupted by a shrill cry. Sasuke's head sunk against one of his palms and closed his eyes like he was wishing he was somewhere else.

"Sasuke! Oh Sasuke, please come out!" girlish cries sung out. "Where are you Sasuke?"

The fan girls were back, hunting for their obsession on his very lawn. Sakura only figured that Sasuke was thankful for not being inside his own home. The fan girls shouted his name louder and tried to find ways to tempt him out.

"I never noticed how loud those girls are until now," Sakura muttered.

"It's very obnoxious when the screams all blend together," Sasuke murmured against his hand. "They'll go away one day, eventually, whenever."

Sakura snorted and pushed her chair out of her way. She placed her hands on the table and leaned close towards her boyfriend. Sasuke glanced up at her and furrowed his brows at her grin.

"What if we got rid of them now?" she suggested.

"Now?" he repeated and she nodded her head.

Taking his hand, Sakura led Sasuke to the front of her house and opened the door. She told him to stay by the frame on the inside as she stepped outside. The fan girls' high pitched screams were louder now that Sakura was hearing them un-muffled by the walls of her house. Placing two fingers into her mouth, Sakura whistled loudly and shouted for the girls to look her way. It took them awhile, but the girls slowly decreased their volume level so that they could hear what Sakura had to say.

"You girls looking for Sasuke?" she asked them. "And I'm guessing that you all want to see him."

The rosette got an uproar as a response and hushed them all down with her hands.

"I hate to burst your bubble, but," Sakura stopped mid-sentence and reached inside her house to take Sasuke by the arm.

She directed him to stand by her side and as the girls began to squeal, Sakura planted a quick kiss on his mouth. The girls stared at her, dumbfounded and surprised. When Sakura pulled back, she rested her hands on her hips. Sasuke wrapped an arm around her shoulder, catching on to what Sakura was doing and glared at the girls on his lawn.

"Sasuke's mine got it?" Sakura roughly told them. "If you have a problem with that and start to bother either one of us, I'll come at you like a ferocious guard dog. So paws off ladies, this man is taken."

The some of the girls had their mouths hung wide open while others tried to find the right words to counter Sakura's. Sasuke stopped them before anything more could be said.

"I do believe that all of you are trespassing on my property and I could call the cops if you don't leave this instant," he warned. "And if any of you could anywhere near my house or my girlfriend's, I won't hesitate to inform the police."

For a moment, the girls simply just stood there as they processed what was just said to them. Then one by one they started to disburse until it was only Sasuke and Sakura outside. Their plan had worked and finally Sasuke would be able to spend time at his house in peace without having rapid fan girls waiting for him outside. The couple turned to look at each other and Sakura rose up a hand. Thinking the same thing, Sasuke gave her a high-five though he hung on to her hand in the end. They walked back into Sakura's house and finished what food was left from breakfast.

* * *

Ino found herself in a bad mood almost everyday since her encounter with Sakura. She constantly got headaches after thinking about the ordeal and sulked in her bedroom as a form of entertainment. There was nothing that she wanted to do or rather anything that she cared about doing. To pass the waste of unused time, Ino spent more and more time in her parents' flower shop than she had planned on doing. Every customer annoyed her and the ding of the bell at the door made her feel like she was going mad.

It was beginning to get closer to the end of her shift and Ino struggled to keep herself from lashing out at the last customer she was assisting. When the customer left, Ino covered her face with her hands and let out her irritation with a muffled scream. Why was everything so horrible lately? Was the universe punishing her for the way she had acted towards Sakura? Sure she felt like crap afterwards and wished that she could take it all back, but that was the past. And Sakura wasn't making any efforts in renewing the friendship just like Ino. Sliding off her stool, Ino accidently hit her knee on an open drawer behind the counter and hissed at the pain. It was official: karma was a bitch.

She soothed her knee the best she could and reached down to an awaiting watering can by the counter. Filling it up with water, Ino made her way around the shop by giving the plants each the amount of water they deserved. The bell above the door rang and Ino shouted that she was in the back of the shop if the new customer needed assistance. She paid no mind to the squeaks of shoes walking around the building and continued to water the plants. The blonde squatted down next to a row of small potted plants and evenly poured water on them.

She glanced out of the corner of her eye and noticed a pair of worn down red converses right by her. A roughly sketched heart made by a black Sharpie was on the outside sole of the left shoe. There was only one person that Ino knew that had shoes like that and she wished that she wrong on whom it was beside her. Turning her head to face this customer, Ino's eyes became wide and her mouth became agape. Shikamaru stood right next to her with his hands in his pant pockets and looked nervous. Ino slowly rose herself up into a standing position and left the watering can on the floor.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him, more surprised then angry.

"I need to talk to you," he said.

Ino crossed her arms angrily though her face still held the look of shock. She thought that she told him that she never wanted to see him again. He had ignored her wishes just like Sakura had and now she narrowed her eyes.

"I don't want to talk to you now Shikamaru," she spat. "Nor do I ever want to. Now would you please leave my shop, we're beginning to close."

She started to walk past him, but Shikamaru held her back. He gripped her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes. The blonde quickly averted her eyes and restricted him from seeing them head on.

"Please, give me five minutes Ino," Shikamaru requested. "I'll only need five minutes to explain and then I'll go if that's what you want."

"Fine, you have five minutes. Now talk before I make it two."

He released his grip on her shoulders and took a step back. Rubbing the back of his neck, he forced himself to go through with what he wanted to say.

"I've hurt you so many times and have never been the guy of your dreams," he started off.

"That's an understatement," she muttered under her breath.

"You've taken me back whenever I come around after being dumped by Temari and the last time you took me back, I hurt you by not being up front about my recent contact with her during Valentine's Day," he continued. "We broke up again and you made it clear that you never wanted to be with me again."

Looking at the watch on her wrist, Ino stated, "You have three more minutes."

"Ino, after being with Temari for a short amount of time after our break up, I found out that I don't like her the same way I like you," Shikamaru said. "I found out that I love you more than anyone else on this earth and want to be with you. You're always in my head and I don't want to think about any other girl, but you."

Ino wanted to say something horrible to him, anything to make him feel like a total jerk, but failed to do so. His words were almost magical, decreasing her hate for him a little bit at a time. She knew that he was going to ask her to take him back. He had said similar speeches all the other times he wanted to get back together. However, this time seemed a tad different though she couldn't tell if he was being truly sincere. How could she know that he wouldn't go off and find Temari when he was bored again? There was no way to know. And there was the point of whether or not if she wanted to have her heart broken again by him. Did she really want to risk that? The one thing that she was sure of was that she was beginning to relive the moment in which she had realized she loved him.

"How do I know that you won't cheat again?" she asked him. "You've done it so many times that I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth having my heart broken again if I take you back."

Shikamaru took her hands in his own and made her look at him.

"I promise not to cheat on you this time. There is no girl that I rather be with than you," he assured her. "If I fail to keep my promise, then I will accept the consequences and won't bother you with my presence again."

It took a few moments for Ino to think about what he said. He was making himself look more and more worthy of her love. She knew that if she said yes to him and began to date him once again, he would do whatever it took to make her feel like he had been punished enough if he ever strayed. The blonde tilted her head to the side and weakly smiled.

"What do you say Ino?" Shikamaru anxiously asked. "Will you go out with me again? Will you take me back?"

Ino kissed his cheek and nodded. "Yes, I do believe I will."

He smirked and pulled her in for a hug. As he held onto her, Ino's face slowly began to fall. Shikamaru had come back to her and asked to be her boyfriend again. He wanted to be only with her and not with Temari. Sakura had been right and Ino felt her stomach become violently ill. She yelled at her friend for nothing and didn't believe her when she said that Shikamaru was thinking of coming back to the blonde. Ino needed to apologize to Sakura though she wasn't sure how.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well, I'm sure Shikamaru is a bit OOC but I wasn't sure how to make him act in this last part. Anyway, I'm working on Ino's apology along with what's planned on happening in later chapters. Plus it looks like my playlist is slowly losing songs because the website I'm using deletes the songs I use. Hopefully this song is there and won't be deleted (and I haven't listened to it yet so I don't know if its good). I'm also looking for a new place to make a playlist so that you can hear all the songs. When I find one, I'll let you know. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review. :)


	23. Luca

**Author's Note:** It's update time! Enjoy :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 23:

**Luca**

_"You could never work well with our group  
Not with flaws we found  
So we've fixed you with cement galoshes  
And no one can save you now  
Even if you have friends among fish  
There will still be no air to breath  
You could drink up the entire ocean  
But we'll still find someone to be everything we know that you will never be."_

_~"Luca" by Brand New~  
_

* * *

Listening to the rhythm of a swiftly played piano, Sakura positioned herself in the starting position for her ballet routine. She needed to practice for the final round of the scholarship competition. And by the looks of it, she was going to have to commit to more hours than originally thought. She had gotten lazy and sloppy with her dancing. The competition was only a two weeks away and she needed all the practice she could get. When the sharp strike of a specific piano key hit her ear, Sakura went into action and pushed herself to perfect each twirl and step.

Kurenai watched her from the back of the dance studio and nodded her head to the beat of the music. She counted the steps she had had Sakura memorize just to make sure she was doing the routine correctly. The slightest mistake was met with extreme haste and the dance teacher showed the right way of doing the dance form. Afterwards, the music was replayed and Sakura would do the entire dance again. Satisfied with her student, Kurenai went into her office and let Sakura continue with her solitary practice.

Sakura leap into the air at the final musical measure of the song and gracefully landed on the ground. Then something strange happened. Sakura's side throbbed in pain and the rosette keeled over from the twinge. A fast as the infliction came, it was gone a minute or two later. Kurenai came out from her office as soon as Sakura got to her feet. The young dancer pressed a hand to her side as if it would protect her from feeling that way again. Kurenai asked her if everything was okay and was waved away by her student.

"I'm fine, really," Sakura said with a weak smile. "It's just a cramp. I've been having them lately."

"Oh, I understand," Kurenai replied. "Hopefully they'll be gone by finals."

"Yeah," Sakura said as she went over to the corner of the studio to get her bag. "I'll see you next week."

Kurenai said good-bye to her and went back into her office for something. Sakura walked out into the hallway as she took her iPod out of her bag. Only students doing extracurricular activities were left in the school building and Sasuke wasn't there to walk with Sakura after her dance practice. To past the time, she had become accustomed to listening to her music as she walked to her car. It allowed her to think about things and have those around her transform into solid ghosts in the hallways. They left her alone and she liked that.

A student walked by with a paper bag from a fast food joint and the smell hit Sakura's nose. The scent of the food made her stomach churn and she walked faster to escape it. It was the strangest thing since Sakura happened to like the food from that restaurant and ate there every once and awhile. Maybe she was getting sick and someone from class had given it to her.

The doors to the outside world came into view and the afternoon sun shone through the small glass panes on the doors. Sakura was looking forward to enjoying the rest of her afternoon. She would do her homework outside while the weather was still nice. Her happy feeling dropped when Ino walked through one of the doors. The blonde glanced around as she walked down the hall like she was looking for something or someone, not yet realizing that Sakura was on the same path she was. Ino glanced up and her eyes light up when she noticed Sakura. She made her way towards the rosette that was feeling reluctant to stay and chat.

_What does she want?_ Sakura asked roughly in her mind. She was the least bit happy to see the blonde.

Ino sheepishly came up to her and took a deep breath. Something was obviously on her mind and Sakura only wished that she would hurry up and get it off her chest already so that Sakura could leave.

"Hi," Ino said kindly, a tone that had been absent for weeks in Sakura's mind.

Sakura curtly nodded her head in greeting and shifted the weight of her bag on her shoulder. Her stomach was feeling upset again and she wanted to rush this little meeting between former friends.

"Looks like I caught you just in time," Ino went on, pointing at the bag. "I thought that you might be gone before I could get a chance to talk to you."

"Get to the chase Ino," Sakura spat, rolling her eyes.

Ino looked taken aback however, her eyes softened in realization. She knew that she deserved the treatment Sakura was giving her and was going to let her dish it out.

"You were right about Shikamaru," the blonde said. "I should have believed you when you said that he would come back to me. I'm sorry that I doubted you."

Sakura shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "Um, okay. Is that all?"

"He wants to get back together and I said yes."

It was then that Sakura had begun to laugh. She couldn't help it and instead of trying to hold it in, she let it burst out of her mouth. Covering her mouth with her hand, she silenced her wicked outburst and narrowed her jade eyes. Ino looked confused. Sakura's reaction was not the one she was apparently looking for and was a little hurt by her friend's laugh attack.

"You're back together just like that?" Sakura said with a snap of her fingers. "Come on Ino, at least make him suffer for a while before taking him back. I mean, make him prove his worth."

"But," Ino started to say. "I love him Sakura."

Sakura snorted. "That's what you said the last time you guys got back together. Don't you see the trend here Ino? Unless you figure out that he truly loves you like you say he does, then you're going to go down the same road with him over and over again. You'll just be heartbroken. "

Lips pursed into a thin line on Ino's face and the girl crossed her arms defensively. "So that's it then? No 'congrats Ino' or 'I'm happy for you'? Are you that mad at me?"

Nodding, Sakura gently pushed her friend aside. "Yes, I am that mad. All those things that you said to me hurt and just like Shikamaru, you're going to have to prove your worth."

An angry scowl developed on the blonde's face and she held her mouth shut instead of commenting. Sakura walked away from her in a terrible mood caused not only by Ino's presence, but from nausea as well. Her stomach gurgled and an acidic taste rose up her throat. Her hand clamped over her mouth as Sakura ran to the nearest bathroom. She pushed open a stall door and crumpled to the tile floor as she let out the contents in her stomach. Coughing and feeling a little light-headed, Sakura wiped the corners of her mouth with toilet paper. Suddenly, another wave of nausea came over her and she continued to be sick. Heeled shoes clacked on the bathroom floor and her stall door opened though she didn't care to take a peek at who was there with her. Sakura's hair was gently pulled back as she threw up into the toilet and her back rubbed for comfort.

"You okay?" Ino asked, her identity being confirmed by a slight glance.

"Do I look okay?" Sakura roughly answered back. "I just got sick all of a sudden."

"The flu's been going around. Maybe someone gave it to you?" Ino suggest. She lifted Sakura up by the arm and handed her some paper towels she grabbed by the sink. "Come on, I'll take you home."

"Thank you," was all the rosette could say and they walked out slowly to Sakura's car.

Ino did her best to drive as fast as she could to get Sakura home without hitting any bumps or ditches. Sakura just kept trying to keep herself together. With a swift sharp turn, Sakura's car was parked in her driveway. Ino helped Sakura out of the car and was denied the right to help Sakura inside her house. The rosette was capable of walking to the door and was thankfully for the drive home. She asked if Ino had a way of getting herself home and the blonde smiled.

"I'll call Shikamaru to come get me," she explained. "Then on the ride home, I can give him a list of things that he has to do to prove his love like you said I should do. Now go inside and get some rest."

Sakura gripped the door knob of the front door and paused for a moment. She turned around and made eye contact with her blonde friend.

"Thank you Ino for driving me home. I really appreciate it," she said. "However, this does not get you off the hook for what you did. You have to do a lot more than this for me to except your apology."

With that said and done, Sakura walked into her house and locked the door behind her before running upstairs to be sick again.

* * *

For the next couple of days, Sakura was sick like a dog. Cramps happened often and trips to the bathroom to be sick had become a morning routine. Strangely enough, Sakura found herself to be extremely hungry though right after eating, she would feel sick. She spent most of her time on the couch downstairs either sleeping or watching TV. Being sick had made her sleepy and lazy. Sasuke would call and ask her if she needed anything and the response was usually no. He brought over her homework and would only stay as long as she wanted him to since she thought he shouldn't get sick with the flu as well.

During her few days of sickness, Sakura's mother had finally come home. She went straight to treating her daughter like a five year old and took care of her. After a while, Sakura started to feel better and wanted to go back to school. However, Mrs. Haruno wasn't quite keen on that idea yet and thought that her daughter should stay home for one more day.

"Mom, I'm fine," Sakura told her as she sat at the island counter for a quick breakfast. "Really I am."

Mrs. Haruno frowned and poured a cup of coffee for her daughter. The rosette brought her cup to her mouth and wrinkled her nose as she put it back down. Her mother rose a pink brow, hands at her hips.

"Something wrong with the coffee?" she asked.

Sakura shook her head. "It doesn't taste all that good."

Her mother took a sip from Sakura's cup and snorted when she put it down.

"That's not bad at all," Mrs. Haruno proclaimed. "Maybe you are still sick. This just proves my theory that you should stay home one more day."

Sakura rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag for school as well as her keys. She was not sick; that was something she knew for certain. The coffee had a horrible taste as well as a weird after taste. Her mother must have made the hot liquid in a different way than she usually did.

"I have a theory: maybe I just got used to the way I make since you left," Sakura pointed out. "I'm not sick mom and I'm going to school."

Her mother sighed and waved good-bye to her daughter. Sakura drove to school and sat in her first period class. As her classmates slowly made their way into the classroom, Sakura cringed when a cramp throbbed at her stomach. Though her sickness had gone away, the cramps still remained. She was also very fatigued however, it made since to her that for someone that had stayed home for a few days and did nothing during that time that she would feel that way.

Sasuke came into the room and sat in his usual spot right in front of her. He noticed her pained expression and held her hand.

"You sure that you're okay with coming back to school?" he asked her. "No one is going to think anything bad of you if you stayed home one more day."

"Geez, both you and my mother think that I should stay home today," she muttered. "Can't anyone see that I'm fine?"

Sasuke tilted his head and gave her a "that's a total lie" look. Their teacher, Mr. Iruka, walked in and Sakura mouthed to Sasuke that she was truly fine. They both gave the teacher their undivided attention as they listened to their lesson for the day.

"Okay class," Mr. Iruka started. "I hope that you all remember what today is. All first period senior classes have to meet in the gym for an assembly."

Sakura furrowed her brow. An assembly for what exactly? She had been gone for so long that she had no idea that one was scheduled for them. Mr. Iruka motioned for the class to stand up and follow him out to the gym. As they walked, Sasuke sauntered up to Sakura's side.

"What's the assembly about?" she asked him, looping her arm with his.

"The school board has decided that since we're going off to college to become adults that we need to know some stuff about the 'adult' world," he explained. "Not like that haven't hammered that stuff into our brains since middle school."

Sakura smirked and directed Sasuke to follow her to a section to sit at on the bleachers in the gym. When the entire senior class was fitted into the gym, a woman got on stage and began to talk. She went on and on about how they were all going to be adults and that college was full of responsibilities. They were going to have to make important choices and come across a variety of crossroads. Sakura blocked out most of what the woman was saying since she had heard the speech before so many times.

However, there was one thing that caught Sakura's attention. The woman directed her speech towards the girls in the crowd. She was being to list off all the things that could happen to them if they weren't careful with their actions. The one thing that hit Sakura hard frightened her.

"Unplanned pregnancies happen all the time when a couple is not protected," the woman said. "This can mess up your future if you forget or choose not to be safe. Make good choices."

As the woman went on with her speech, Sakura touched her belly. Had she been safe back the beach with Sasuke? She didn't remember if they had been. An avalanche of questions filled her mind, blocking it from any other thoughts. What if she didn't have the flu? What if those were just early signs? More importantly: what if she was pregnant?

* * *

**Author's Note:** So Brand New is one of my favorite bands and I just figured that I would try and use one of their songs as a title. It sort of worked out. Before that, I was searching my butt of for a song I liked for this chapter. At first it was Tall Tales Taste like Sour Grapes by Fair to Midland (my number one favorite band) however, it didn't fit (though I will try to put at least one song of theirs on here). On another note, I've been watching the last episodes of FMA: Brotherhood. All I can say without exposing any spoilers for those who haven't seen it is that May Chang's face is adorable even in the worst possible situations. I think she's a new favorite character for me. Anyways, major stuff going on in the next couple of chapters. Hope you liked it and please review.


	24. Daughters

**Author's Note:** I would have posted this earlier, but my internet's been down for awhile. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and please review.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 24:

**Daughters**

_"So fathers be good to your daughters,  
Daughters will love like you do,  
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers  
So mothers be good to your daughters too..."_

_~"Daughters" by John Mayer~  
_

* * *

Sakura was worried, actually beyond worried. She was downright terrified. The thought of her being pregnant seemed outlandish. She hadn't told anyone that she was feeling this way. Not her mother, not Sasuke, absolutely no one. She was afraid to tell people, afraid of what they would think of her. The matter had to remain hidden at least for now. Once she was certain that she was indeed pregnant would she let her family and Sasuke know. Oh, how she wanted to tell Sasuke. However, every time she was given a chance to, she panicked and remained silent. She figured that it would be better to tell him later than now anyway. If she wasn't pregnant and had thought that she was, she would be giving him a heart attack for nothing and that's not what she wanted.

One afternoon, Sakura was walking in the grocery store with her mother. Since Mrs. Haruno had been gone for so long, Sakura had let the food supply in the house run low. It was the perfect excuse for a little mother-daughter bonding time. Sakura pushed the grocery cart as her mother told her stories about her trip with Sakura's father as she tossed things into the cart. The rosette only half listened to the tales being told to her and had her mind preoccupied on more pressing matters. Her mother seemed to take notice to this and stepped right in front of the grocery cart, stopping it with her hand. The cart hit Sakura in the stomach after paying little attention to what she was doing.

"Sakura, sweetie, I asked you a question," Mrs. Haruno said.

"Sorry mom," Sakura replied with a sheepishly grin. "What were you saying?"

Her mother sighed and held up two different boxes of cereal. "I was wondering which brand of cereal you want."

"Ah, that one," Sakura said, pointing to a box without really looking at it.

Mrs. Haruno rolled her eyes and put the box into the cart. They walked around; only taking what they felt was needed. It came time for them to pay and as they made their way towards one of the check-out lanes. Sakura spotted the grocery's pharmacy nearby and got an idea in her head.

"Hey mom, why don't you go get the car and I'll pay for the groceries," Sakura suggested. "That way only one of us has to walk to get the car."

"You're just being lazy and don't want to walk that far," her mother said.

"Well yeah, I mean did you really have to park the car in the furthest spot from the store?" Sakura exclaimed.

Her mother chuckled as she pulled out her car keys and handed her daughter a credit card.

"Fine, I'll go get the car while you pay," her mother said, waving as she went out into the parking lot.

Making sure her mother was out of view; Sakura pushed the cart over to the pharmaceutical aisle of the store. She scanned each row as she looked for the desired product. Finding it, she quickly put it in the cart and headed towards the check-out lane once again. Sakura's cheeks became hot as she waited in line to pay. Her eyes stared down at the pregnancy test and her stomach did one big flip. She was so embarrassed that she was buying the test even though she knew that it was necessary for her to have it.

The cashier rung up every item and put them in a bag for the rosette. Sakura took out her mother's credit card, fumbling with it as she slid it through the credit machine. The cashier woman patiently waited for Sakura to pay and was eyeing the girl's clumsy hands. When the receipt was printed and handed to the girl, the cashier gave her a soft smile.

"No one is judging you," the woman said to Sakura.

For a second, Sakura didn't know what the woman was talking about. It finally came to her and she blushed as she put her groceries in the cart.

"I'm sure that everything is going to be okay," the cashier told her. "Have a nice day dear."

"Okay, you too," Sakura said and pushed the cart out to the parking lot.

Her mother was waiting for her with the car's trunk ready to be filled with their purchase. The two of them took turns putting the groceries away. Sakura picked up the last bag and it was just her luck that the bag broke. Her mother helped her pick up everything and shouted that the receipt in the bag was flying away. Sakura stepped on the piece of paper and glanced down at it briefly. She was surprised at what she saw. Sakura hadn't paid for the pregnancy test, the cashier woman had.

* * *

Waiting for a result for the pregnancy test was the worst. Sakura sat on her bathroom floor, staring at the ceiling as she waited for the testing strip to tell her whether or not she was carrying a mini Sasuke. Luckily, her mother wasn't home at all and left to go do some more errands on her own. The house was empty just like Sakura wanted it to be. Tapping her fingers against the tub, Sakura began to wander her options if it did so happen that she was pregnant. Abortion was out of the question, she couldn't deal with that. Adoption sounded okay though she might feel a little bit sad that someone else was raising her child. Keeping the baby left her with having to put off school for awhile, getting a job (she needed one anyway), and paying for daycare whenever her mother couldn't watch the baby.

A timer she placed on the sink counter went off and Sakura looked at the strip on the pregnancy test. Her mouth made an oval shape and tears poured out of her eyes. Slowly, her lips curled into a smile and she fell onto her back in relief. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Sakura gazed at the pregnancy test she held above her head. She wasn't pregnant after all. Her sickness just happened to be bad luck and the flu.

Wrapping the test in toilet paper to hide it, Sakura tossed the thing into the trash can and out of her life. There was no reason to worry anymore. She could put the entire ordeal behind her. Sakura left the bathroom with a skip in her step and went downstairs to watch TV like nothing ever happened.

* * *

It was Saturday and Sasuke was in a good mood. There weren't any fan girls on his lawn anymore. His grades were the best they had been since freshman year and his girlfriend was happy. Life was good and he was basking in the moment.

He had just gone to see a movie with Sakura and was driving her home in his new car. Yes, that's right. He got a new car. Since his grades were perfect, his parents felt like he deserved to own a new car. That and his old one broke down in the driveway without any hope of ever being fixed again. Itachi joked that the only reason Sasuke got the car in the first place was out of pity by their parents. His comical gesture was easily ignored by the younger Uchiha who liked to think that he got the car because he earned it.

Sakura was pleased with the car as well. She kept going on and on about how she didn't have to worry about the passenger window getting stuck or the heater not working. Normally, Sasuke would have been a tad irritated with her complaining about the piece of junk he drove around. Sure it was a bad car, but it had a load of memories packed inside it. However, today Sasuke didn't care at all. He even joined in with poking fun at the metal death trap that he once publically used.

Pulling into the Haruno's driveway, Sasuke parked behind a mysterious white sports car. For a second, both he and Sakura stared at it as they tried to figure out who it could possibly belong to. Sakura caught on to it first and her eyes lit up like Christmas lights. Words could not escape her mouth and a wide smile grew on her face. She jumped up and down in her seat like a little girl. She climbed out of Sasuke's car and gestured him to follow her to the house. Sasuke had to jog to keep up with his girlfriend who happened to be running to her front door. She was giddy as she fumbled to unlock the door and Sasuke took this brief moment to catch his breath.

"Oh my God, just oh my God," Sakura kept saying over and over again.

"Sakura, what is it? whose car is that?" Sasuke asked.

The key turned in the lock and the front door was opened. The rosette gleamed up at Sasuke and took his hand.

"He's here!" she exclaimed. "He's finally here!"

"Who's here?" Sasuke questioned, wanting to be in on the excitement.

"My father," was all that Sakura said as she pulled the teen into her house.

Sasuke went pale. Mr. Haruno was home? Sakura's extremely busy businessman of a father was back from his trip? Sasuke gulped and grew nervous. There was nothing wrong with Mr. Haruno however; he had a tendency to act like a brute around his "little girl". He had a way of towering over people to make them feel small and insignificant, a stare that matched as well. Sasuke meet Sakura's father once back when the two of them weren't dating. The man didn't say anything to truly frighten Sasuke, but somehow managed to make him feel uneasy in his presence. It took a lot to scare Sasuke and Mr. Haruno happened to know how to do it. The teen could only imagine the reaction he was going to get after Mr. Haruno found out that Sasuke was dating his daughter. By the way Sakura was dragging Sasuke through her house; her father was going to find out pretty soon.

They went into the living room and Sakura ran up ahead of Sasuke to a man on her couch. The red-headed male slowly sat up and hugged the girl with a soft smile. He roughly ran his hand over Sakura's hair, messing it up much to her dismay. Sasuke waited in the archway as he watched father and child be reunited. A hand lightly tapped his shoulder and he jumped at the touch. Turning around, he saw that it was Sakura's mother behind him with a smirk on her face.

"He doesn't bite you know," she told Sasuke, nudging her head towards her husband. "You can go up and say hello too."

"I think that I'll wait back here for awhile," Sasuke said.

Mrs. Haruno chuckled and gripped his shoulder. "Sasuke, he knows that you're dating Sakura. I told him that you guys were together. He's not going to kill you."

Then the woman began to push the young man towards Sakura and Mr. Haruno. Sasuke did his best to stop her, but in the end allowed him to be pushed in front of the man that made his blood run cold. Sakura and her father stopped talking when he arrived and stared at him. Each one had a different reaction to his arrival with Sakura grinning and her father just simply glaring at him like he did something wrong. Sasuke looked to Mrs. Haruno, trying to show her that her husband had a murderous look on his face. She ignored him and stood by her daughter.

"Nice to see you again Mr. Haruno," Sasuke muttered, sticking out his hand to shake.

Mr. Haruno looked down at Sasuke's hand and then at his face. He raised a brow, either confused or disgusted. It was hard to tell without deliberately staring at him. He crossed his muscular arms across his chest and widened his stance.

"So you're dating my daughter now, huh Mr. Uchiha," the tall man said.

Sasuke nodded and cleared his throat. "Yes, sir I am."

"What kind of car do you drive?" Mr. Haruno asked.

Sasuke blankly stared at him. What kind of question was that? It had nothing to do with his dating Sakura or any part of their relationship at all. Or did it?

"A navy blue sedan sir," Sasuke answered. Then he added in for good measure, "It's a brand new model."

Nodding his head in approval, Mr. Haruno went on, "Do you do drugs?"

"Absolutely not sir. I would never think of doing such a harmful thing to my body," Sasuke said. He was now catching on to what Sakura's father was doing. The questions were a test to see if Sasuke was good enough for Sakura.

"Ever get a speeding ticket or drink alcohol?" Sakura's father asked.

"No and no sir."

"Been convicted of a felony?"

"No sir."

"Do you have good grades?"

"Yes, sir I do."

"What university are you going to?"

"University of Konoha on a baseball scholarship, sir."

"What do you plan on studying?"

"Perhaps business or economics," Sasuke said, though it wasn't exactly truthful. He didn't have the slightest clue what he wanted to major in. However, he felt like he needed to impress Mr. Haruno so he blurted out whatever came to him.

Sakura's father stared at Sasuke, running his fingers through his small beard as he thought of a new question to ask his daughter's boyfriend. Sasuke felt his palms begin to sweat and was eagerly waiting for Mr. Haruno to hurry up with his question. He glanced over to Sakura and her mother, both who looked happy as they gave him a thumbs up.

"Do you think that you are good enough for my daughter?" Mr. Haruno sternly asked finally.

Straightening his stance, Sasuke prepared himself for the one answer that he believed would put him on Mr. Haruno's good side.

"No I do not think so sir," Sasuke said. "I have never thought so. She is too good for me and I'm lucky to be with her. In fact, there is no one on this planet that truly deserves her."

At first, Mr. Haruno glared at Sasuke. He had an angry look on his face that made the young man want to slowly back away. Sakura's father took in a deep breath and made it so that he towered over the boy. Then he started laughing and the thunderous sound startled Sasuke. Mr. Haruno roughly patted Sasuke's back and shook his hand.

"Nicely said son, nicely said," Mr. Haruno stated. "It's good that my daughter is dating some one like you."

"That's good to know," Sasuke replied as Sakura came up beside him and took his hand.

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and stood proudly at his side. Sasuke smirked and hoped that her father didn't mind the public display of affection in front of him. The older man was unfazed and gestured for Sasuke and Sakura to join him on the couch to watch a movie with him and Mrs. Haruno. Not wanting to decline Sakura's father's offer, Sasuke agreed to the request. As he sat down, Mr. Haruno added one more thing to his statement before starting the movie.

"I want you to know that you have my blessing to date Sakura," he said, calmly. "However, if you break her heart or give me any reason to believe that you're mistreating her, I will break every bone in your body."

Sasuke gulped and weakly smiled. It was just an empty threat, nothing too serious. He couldn't mean it at all. Although, it wouldn't hurt to be careful; just in case. Sasuke put his arm around Sakura's shoulders and watched the movie playing on the TV.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sakura's father is home. Yay! I should probably write some stuff with Sasuke's parents eventually. They haven't said a word in this story yet. I'll update when I can. Please Review. :)


	25. Digital Sea

**Author's Note:** Been a little busy. I have like almost two weeks before I have to move into my apartment dorm. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and please review. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 25:

**Digital Sea**

_"I am drowning in a digital sea  
I am slipping beneath the sound  
Here my voice goes, to ones and zeroes  
I'm slipping beneath the sound"_

_~"Digital Sea" by Thrice~_

_

* * *

_

It was the end of the first week of May and people crowded into Konoha High's school theater. The school had volunteered to lend the theater for the final round of the dance scholarship contest. Why not have the finals performed in their building? One of the school's students was a finalist. People squeezed in close to one another so that there were no empty seats left available. They had all heard that this round was going to be one of the best anyone had ever seen in all the years the contest had been around. Three judges walked down the aisle surrounded by a sea of people and sat down at a table in the front. They messed with their microphones to make sure they were working and motioned for the lights to dim.

Sasuke had never been to a dance show before. In fact, he never thought that he would actually go to one. They sounded particularly boring. However, Sakura was to perform in the final round of this dance show and Sasuke had every intention of supporting her. He had only seen her dance once before, back when they weren't dating. It seemed so long ago, that day when Naruto had been sent to detention and Sasuke's only choice for a ride was Sakura. Sasuke often wondered what would their relationship be like if he hadn't asked her for the ride home.

Mr. Haruno sat next to Sasuke looking just as bored as the youth that was positioned to the left of him. On the other side, his wife wrapped a slender arm around his own and was giddy with excitement. Sasuke did not want to sit next to Sakura's father only because even though he was starting to get used to the older man's presence, he was still an ominous figure. The man would glance over in the teen's direction every now and again with a threatening smirk of dominance.

Sasuke looked around at the crowd that surrounded him, searching for familiar faces while the stage crew set up for the dancers. He spotted Sakura's friend Ino with Shikamaru sitting a few rows ahead of him. Ino had her head held up high like a queen and snarled at the boy next to her. Shikamaru rose from his seat to leave only to come back with a bottle of water and a small box of candy from the vending machine outside. Sasuke turned his glance elsewhere and found Naruto and Hinata in two rows behind him to the left. The blonde noticed him staring and waved with a wide smile. Sasuke curtly nodded and saw Neji and Tenten in the same row as Naruto. Unlike the couple beside them, the two love birds were calm and poised.

Movement in the closed curtains on the stage caught Sasuke's attention. A pink head popped out, scanning the room carefully. She had yet to see Sasuke in the audience, obviously looking for him. The curtain she hid behind allowed the Uchiha to see a small glimpse of the dance uniform his girlfriend had chosen to wear. She had told him over and over again that her outfit was going to be a surprise. From where he was sitting, he could see a mixture of light blue and sea foam green. Her arms in sleek silver gloves with stones scattered in the pattern. He could only imagine what the rest of her looked like.

She finally saw him and weakly smiled. Sasuke could see how nervous she was and gave her a thumbs up. The gesture brightened her face, but he knew that she was still a bit anxious about her performance. She turned around for a second, probably talking to someone back stage and then waved good-bye to her boyfriend. The rosette left her spot at the curtain and it became dark in the theater. An announcer came on stage to explain what was going to happen tonight though everyone in the audience knew very well why they were there. He read the first dancer's name off a card and left as a spotlight was turned on for the dancer taking her place to dance.

Sasuke watched the girl dance for a little bit before taking out his phone to play Solitaire on. He was not interested in seeing these girls dance. How well they performed and the scores that they made did not matter to him. The only girl that he was anticipating to see was Sakura and he wouldn't miss her dance for anything.

* * *

Sakura paced backstage as the dancer before her started her performance. She was lucky this time to not be the last dancer like she was in the round before. However, this time out of the five dancer going on tonight she would be the fourth. Why were the judges always placing her at the bottom of the list? It wasn't fair and it made her sick with nerves. She had saw her friends and family in the crowd outside which killed off some of the butterflies in her stomach. As long as there was someone she knew out in the crowd, she would be okay. It didn't make her feel as nervous.

Temari came up to Sakura dressed in a dark purple ballerina gown with a kimono style collar and a long red ribbon around her middle. She, like Sakura, was to be one of the last to perform. Sakura would go on before she would and then the judges would deliberate the winners. If either one of them placed in the first two spots, they would be give prize money for the scholarship though the first place winner would receive much more than the second place one. The blonde girl at Sakura's side crossed her arms as they both began to watch the current ballerina out on stage.

"Dang she's good," Temari muttered as the girl on stage put on a fiery performance. "Mixing in some salsa dancing in with her routine."

"Who is she?" Sakura asked, just making small talk to pass the time.

"I'm not sure, but I think that the announcer guy said something about her being from Otoga or some place like that," Temari said. "Man, I hope she doesn't win."

"I know. We both worked too hard to not place in the top two slots," Sakura replied. "I'm sure that we'll both do well."

Temari nodded and left her spot by the curtain to continue warming up. Sakura stayed to watch the remainder of the current dancer's performance knowing that in a few moments she would hear her name called. The ballerina on stage did a final leap and ended her dance with a low bow in which the audience erupted into applause. Sakura gulped and played with her feet as she waited for her name to come up. The announcer took his spot by the microphone and read the rosette's name off a card. Sakura skipped out onto the stage on her tiptoes and did a small wave to the crowd. She stood at the starting position in the spotlight, letting the light illuminate the rhinestones on her costume. Kurenai had suggested that Sakura dress up in a way that made her look like a wave in the ocean. Sakura liked the idea and ordered her costume from a hop online. It had long flowing strips of thin fabric in soft wintry colors to look like the color of water in a current and Sakura had silver zeros painted in two columns on her face. The song she had chosen spoke about the age of technology therefore she wanted to represent that in the costume she wore. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun to complete the outfit.

The crowd went silent and Sakura listened for her music to blare out from the speakers around the stage. She took the first step to her routine and all the hours of practice merged together in her mind. Each move was performed with absolute perfection just like she wanted it to be. The dance made her feel like a moving piece of art. A rush of air grazed her neck after she gained momentum with every twirl she performed. She loved her dance, loved unspoken expression she was trying to display with her body. If she was to choose a profession besides being a nurse, then her next choice was definitely a ballerina. However, that dream would never happen. Her father wouldn't allow it.

Since she was small, he had drilled it into her mind that she had to major in profession that would guarantee a steady income. Though she had told him that she wanted to a ballerina many times when she was growing up, he had only allowed her to pursue that dream in order to gain scholarship money and to build up her college application. Therefore Sakura had told to pick either a career in medicine or business. She wasn't one for office life and chose to be a nurse instead. It wasn't her dream job, but it made her father happy which made her happy.

Sakura spun on her tip toes and lifted one of her legs to maneuver into the next step. She wasn't looking where she was placing her foot and pivoted to perform a small leap. The weight she put on the foot twisted her ankle and before she knew it, she was falling onto the floor. The polished wood floor pulled on her skin when she landed, causing a stinging sensation to crawl up her side. For a moment, she just sat there on the floor with a bewildered look on her face. She hadn't expected herself to fall then again no one expects themselves to. She wanted to cry more than anything. All that hard work was for nothing, the fall was sure to deduct points off her score with the judges. The music she had chosen to dance to was turned off to give her a chance to get back up, but she showed no signs of wanting to do so.

Then she heard a loud shout from out in the crowd. She lifted her sad head and saw Sasuke standing up in his seat. He waved, shouting her name to persuade her to go on with her dance. Soon, she saw her parents do the same and each of her friends as well. Before long the entire audience was cheering for her to continue and the rosette gained enough confidence to stand. Her music came back on and she eased her way back into her routine. She ended the performance in an elegant seated position with her leg outstretched and arms poised around her head. The crowd roared and tears came to Sakura's eyes as she smiled and bowed. She had messed up her dance, but had ended it the way she had intended on doing. The crowd seemed to love her. She only hoped that the judges did as well.

Sakura went backstage and was greeted by Temari who gathered her into a bear hug. She told her how proud she was that Sakura had continued on though she had fallen. It showed perseverance and perhaps the judges would take that into consideration. The girls couldn't talk long because Temari's name was called asking for her to come on stage. Sakura wished her good luck and went to one of the stage hands whose job it was to make sure the dancers had plenty of water to hydrate with. She asked them if they could get her some ice for her ankle she had twisted and was handed a sandwich bag filled with ice. She sat on the floor and pressed the bag to her ankle. The cool ice felt nice again the injury and the pain was slowly being reduced to nothing. From where she was sitting, there was a small opening in the curtains for her to look through to see Temari. The other girl was doing extremely well and even though Sakura wanted to be placed first, she was okay with Temari taking the spot if it ever came to that.

The blonde finished performing and came backstage to check-in with Sakura as the judges totalled all the dancers' scores. Then the announcer called for all five dancers to come out on stage. The dancers stood in a line on the theater stage and smiled widely for the audience. Sakura crossed her fingers as the announcer began to read the final positions determined by the judges. She was jittery and excited.

"And third place goes to Sakura Haruno from Konoha High School," the announcer read loudly. "Second goes to-..."

Sakura blocked out the rest of what he was saying and was hit by a wave of disappointment. She was third. There was no money to be gained for a scholarship for third place winners, nothing at all. Her wide smile quickly turned to a pursed frown. She bit her quivering lip and told herself that she wouldn't cry. It would be foolish to do so in front of all these people and embarrassing as well. She fidgeted with her fingers in front of her, glancing down at the floor to hide her solemn face.

There was a loud cheer and the sound of clapping around her. She glance up for a second and saw that Temari was having a gold medal placed over her head. Sakura smiled briefly, happy that Temari had at least gotten a high rank unlike her. The blonde earned the right to wear that medal like a champion.

The girls were ushered off the stage after they all bowed at the crowd together. Backstage, Sakura gave Temari her congratulations and went to gather her stuff. She wanted to go home and wallow with a large tub of ice cream on her couch for the rest of the night. Of course that wouldn't change the fact that she not only lost, but didn't get a scholarship as well. Her father might be a tad pissed though she really hoped that he wasn't. He always pushed her to do her best and to exceed in areas of utmost importance. This contest was one of those areas and she could remember times in the past that he had been angry at her for not getting a high rank. She didn't want to deal with him tonight if he was going to act that way.

Sakura went into the dressing room backstage and changed into the cargo pants and hoodie she had arrived in. She shifted her bag on her shoulder and made her way towards the stairs leading into the theater's seating area. Before she could get to the stairs, a man and woman came up to her. They looked midly overdressed for the event they had just attended.

"Sakura Haruno?" the man asked, sticking out his hand for her to shake. "Hello, I'm Jiro Maeda and this lovely woman next to me is Ami Sato."

"Um, hello," Sakura said as she shook his hand.

"We saw your perfomance this evening and were thoroughly impressed by it," the woman, Ami, said.

"Oh well, thank you," Sakura replied.

"You see Ms. Haruno, Ami and I are from the Kaji Dance Company," Jiro explained. "We are the ones that put on the Nutcracker every Christmas and Swam Lake in the summer."

The rosette's eyes widened and she held onto her bag's strap. Kaji Dance Company was an extremely famous and prestigious dance company. The dancers that performed in their shows were highly professional and had very high salaries. It was this company that Sakura had dreamed about joining one day when she was growing up and here she was meeting two people from that very company. It was simply amazing.

"Jiro and I were in the audience tonight because we heard that the dancers performing were phenomenal and were asked by our director to pick one of you to join our cast as an intern for awhile," Ami told Sakura. "We both agreed that we want you to be that lucky dancer to join our cast."

Sakura was at a lost for words. She was being offered an internship with them! It was like her childhood dream was unfolding right out in front of her. What made it all the better was that she remembered reading in an article that interns for Kaji usually ended up being a permanent addition to the dance cast. If she agreed to the internship, Sakura could become the professional ballerina she had wanted to be. Jiro reached into his pocket and handed Sakura a business card.

"Call the number on the front if you decide that you want to join us this summer," he said. "Since I am one of the managers for Kaji, this number goes directly to me and I'll set you up for the internship. However, don't wait too long to contact us because there is a deadline."

"It's been nice talking to you and we look forward to your call," Ami added in and pivoted on her heel to walk out of the theater with Jiro.

Sakura couldn't believe that this was happening to her and flipped over the card. On the back in large black letters was the date May 26th. That was the day after Sakura was to graduate and plenty of time for her to consider taking the internship. However, she was going to need to convince her father to let her go and she had a feeling that he wasn't going to let her go so easily.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I've been reading the new chapters of Naruto and they're making me a little sad. On another note, hope you liked the chapter and please review. I'll try to get in another chapter either later today or sometime tomorrow or Monday. :)


	26. Oh Yeah, By the Way

**Author's Note:** I would have updated yesterday, but a storm knocked out my internet and for that I am sorry. Enjoy the chapter and please review. :)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 26:

**Oh Yeah, By the Way**

_"Oh Yeah and By The Way Im going to make you cry  
18 with a face like that,  
Kick it twice in the eye  
And don't you go home to Daddy"_

_~"Oh Yeah, By the Way" by The Killers~  
_

* * *

Saturday nights at the Uchiha household used to be the most anticipated part of the week when Sasuke was growing up. The entire family would sit down to eat a home cooked meal made by his mother and then they would talk about their week or perhaps thoughts on the future. It was rather enjoyable since Sasuke was never able to see much of his father and mother during the week no matter how hard they tried to make time to see him. However, times changed and Saturday night dinners were more repulsed than revered. Topics at dinner slowly twisted from how school life treated him to if he had chosen a university to attend. The warm feeling of togetherness was now met with an icy chill.

Sasuke came downstairs and sat at the dining room table after hearing his mother making stir fry in the wok in the kitchen. The smell of the cooked beef lingered up into his room and made his mouth water. Mrs. Uchiha sauntered into the dining room with a large bowl of steaming white rice. She placed it down on the table and wiped a small trickle of sweat from her brow. At first she didn't notice her youngest son sitting at the table and left to bring in another dish of food for dinner. She almost jumped at the sight of him the second she entered the room once again. The woman set down her dish and went over to give her son a quick kiss on the head.

Mikoto Uchiha was a kind, easy-going woman that worked long hours during the week as a Realtor. She wasn't particularly fond of her job though it brought in quite a large sum of cash. Sasuke often wondered what his mother would have done if she didn't have the job she did now. He liked to believe that she could have been a chef with her own fancy restaurant. Her cooking was the only good part of the Uchiha family dinner.

Eventually the rest of the family made their way downstairs and sat at their usual spots at the table. Sasuke's father, Fugaku Uchiha, made himself comfortable at the head of the table and losened his tie around his neck. Itachi sat across from his brother and rubbed the sleep from his eyes after waking from a nap. Mrs. Uchiha brought out the main course of the meal and set it in front of her husband. She sat at the opposite end of the table and told everyone to dig in.

Sasuke scooped up a large helping of rice and meat, then shoveling the food into his mouth. Like every other meal his mother had made, this one was just as good. The meat was tender to perfection and covered with the right amount of sauce. He did not let this meal go uncomplimented and told his mother that the food was delicious. Mrs. Uchiha was very pleased by the compliment and continued to empty her own plate. The family ate in silence after that though Sasuke knew that it wasn't going to be that way for long. It was only a matter of time before his father brought up college and his future.

"Have you heard anything from the University of Konoha yet Sasuke?" Mr. Uchiha asked, not even looking at his son. "Surely they have sent your acceptance letter already."

There was no question that he believed Sasuke could get accepted in the top school in the area. It was blasphemous to think that he couldn't get in at all.

"I received my acceptance letter early this week," Sasuke replied. "They already offered to take me in with a baseball scholarship which will help with the finances."

His father nodded his approval and took a sip of wine his wife set out for him. He swirled it in the glass before taking a tasteful gulp. "Do you know what area you wish to study in?"

Sasuke took a deep breath. What did he want to study in college? He had told Sakura's father earlier that he wanted to major in business or economics. However, if he did that, there was a slight possibility that he would end up like his father. Sasuke didn't want that to happen. He loved his father, he truly did, but the man was blinded by his ambition to climb the corporate ladder. Sasuke couldn't choose to live a life like that though he knew that he was expected to do so. Sensing her son's sudden inability to answer the question, Mrs. Uchiha smiled faintly and spoke.

"I'm sure we will be happy with whatever you chose honey," she told Sasuke. Then looking to her husband, "Right Fugaku?"

Mr. Uchiha looked at his wife sternly and shook his head. "No, not if he chooses something frivolous like teaching or art. What he needs to do is pick something that would guarantee him a large salary, stable insurance, and a happy lifestyle."

The expression on Sasuke's mother's face quickly changed from a smile to a frown and narrow eyes. She smoothed her cloth napkin on her lap and folded her hands above her knees. Sasuke sat back in his chair, watching the whole event unravel.

"So you're saying that you want him to follow in your footsteps, am I right?" Mrs. Uchiha said. "You let Itachi do what he pleases, but you will have our other son be pushed into a life he may not want?"

"Itachi chose the right path on his own. He did not need my assistance to push him onto it. Sasuke on the other hand has yet to even consider the thought of going into the corporate world," Mr. Uchiha explained.

To Sasuke, this was pretty much how his Saturday night dinners with his family went. His father was accustomed to favoring his older son over his younger one. Itachi had always had better grades and more opportunities laid out before him. He chose the life of a lawyer and that made their father proud. Sasuke on the other hand did well in school and did what he could to get the same opportunities as his older brother. However, this did not please his father as he thought it would. It just made it worst that he hadn't decided on a major yet. He ignored his father like usual and sipped from his cup. His parents continued to argue over his future and the bickering was slowly coming to a halt. In a moment, they would be back to being a "perfect" happy family.

"As long as that girlfriend of his doesn't hinder his studies, I think he would excell at a business major," his father added to the argument. "It wouldn't be long before they part ways."

Sasuke's ears perked upon hearing this and narrowed his eyes at his father. This was completely new to the discussion. His father was attacking his relationship with Sakura now? Sasuke did not want to hear anymore of that if he could help it.

"Do you have a problem with Sakura dad?" he asked.

"Not at all son," his father blatantly said. "She does have a good head on her shoulders I'll give her that and it's excellent that she plans on majoring in the medical field. However, she would not make a good businessman's wife."

Sasuke almost spat water out of his mouth at that comment.

"Isn't a little early to be thinking about marriage?" he retorted. "Sakura and I aren't even thinking about that sort of thing yet anyway."

"And good thing too," Mr. Uchiha said. "Look son, you both are young and are entering a new stage in life. Who knows how long you to will be together? Things change and I wouldn't doubt that there would be a time in your life in which Sakura wants to go one way and you want to go another. You're just going to have to accept the fact that you two might not last as long as you think you might."

Sasuke stood, pushing his chair out of his way. He slammed his hands down on the table making the glasses shake. Saturday night dinner had already taken a turn for the worst, but now it was becoming a complete disaster. Glaring at his father who sat completely unnerved by his son's sudden movement, Sasuke wrinkled his nose with disgust.

"You know nothing about me and Sakura," Sasuke snarled at him.

Mr. Uchiha placed his napkin beside his plate and folded his arms across his chest.

"I know more about you then you think," his father stated. "In fact son, I know that you will eventually break up with Sakura like the way I said."

When Sasuke didn't say anything, Mr. Uchiha continued on.

"This very same thing happened to me when I was in college," he said. "And without a doubt it'll happen to you too."

* * *

Sakura stood in front of her father's study with her hand wavering over the door knob. Mr. Maeda's business card burned in her back pocket and Sakura bit her lip with hesitation. In her head, she had constructed at least a hundred different ways of asking her father for permission to take the internship with Kaji Dance Company. They all sounded stupid and not good enough to use on her father. In the end, she decided that she was going to make it up as she went and here she was at his door. She could hear him typing away on his laptop inside and gathered up the courage to go inside. Knocking on the door, she made her way into the room.

Her father glanced over his shoulder at her and closed the document he was working on. He swiveled around on his large office chair and smiled at his daughter. Sakura returned the smile with one of her own and sat in another empty chair in the room. With a quick boost of confidence, the rosette spoke.

"How are you daddy?" she asked to get the conversation going.

Her father chuckled to himself and patted his daughter's knee. "Daddy, huh? You must want something from me."

Sakura slightly paled and faked a laugh.

"Am I really that easy to read?" she asked.

"You only call me daddy when you want something hon," her father said. "Now tell me what it is that you need."

"Yesterday after the dance show, I was approached by this man," Sakura started. "He's from the Kaji Dance Company and acts as on of their managers. He asked me if I wanted to join the company as an intern. And before you say anything, I checked the Kaji website and he is a legit employee. His picture is right there on the site."

"How long would this internship last?" Mr. Haruno wondered.

Sakura shrugged. "I don't know. I'll have to ask him. Oh, just think dad! I could be dancing with professional ballerinas!"

Her father wrinkled his nose as he thought. He looked hesitant to respond to her request and Sakura took that as a bad sign.

"I don't know Sakura," he said. "What about college? What if the internship interfered with your attendance at the University of Konoha? You have to get a degree if you want to be a nurse."

"I know, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity," Sakura replied. "Plus I had always dreamed of doing this as a little girl."

Her father shook his head and the rosette's heart dropped into her stomach.

"I'm sorry Sakura, but I don't think you should go through with the internship," Mr. Haruno said. "There is a good chance that it'll take away from your studies and I know that we both don't want that to happen."

"What if I want to take the internship and not go to college?" Sakura asked, becoming suddenly bold.

"Excuse me?"

"Dad, all my life you wanted my to go into the medical field and be a nurse. But that's not what I want to do, it's not what I want to pursue," she explained. "Dad, I want to be a professional dancer. By taking this internship, the possibility of becoming one grows closer. The statistics of interns transferring into full-time dancers are really high with Kaji Dance Company."

"I don't care," her father roughly stated. "You are not to take that internship and that's final."

"Can't we just try out the internship for a little bit and see how it goes?" Sakura pleaded, trying a different approach. "If they offer me a position, then I won't take it and go to college like you want me to."

Her father held up a hand to stop her from going on and frowned. This meant that the discussion was over. Sakura had lost and knew that her father's word was law.

"My decision is final Sakura," he said turning back to his computer. "I'm sorry, but you can't take the internship."

Sakura walked out of the room with a huff. Going up to her own room, she slammed the door behind her. Sitting on her bed, she took out the business card in her pocket and stared at the phone number printed on it. How dare her father deny her of her dream? Hell, she was eighteen now and could make her own decisions. He didn't have a say on her life anymore. She took out her cellphone and dialed the number on the card. It rang for a few seconds before a male voice answered the phone.

"Hello, Mr. Maeda?" she said gleefully. "Hi, it's Sakura Haruno from Konoha High school. You gave me your business card and offered me an internship with Kaji after seeing my performance at a dance show. Yes, the one at Konoha. I would like to tell you that I am very interested in the internship and was wondering when I could start."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Neighbors is getting close to ending soon, just thought I would let you guys know. I'll update when I can and please review. :)


	27. Graduation Friends Forever

**Author's Note:** Guess what: It's gonna be a double update! Enjoy and review!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 27:

**Graduation (Friends Forever)**

_"As we go on, we remember  
All the times we had together  
And as our lives change, come whatever  
We will still be, friends forever"_

_~"Graduation (Friends Forever)" by Vitamin C~_

* * *

Anxious hands on top of fidgety knees held a small scroll in their clutches as their owners sat in white folding chairs on a grassy lawn. It was graduation day for the senior students at Konoha High and it was a very hot afternoon. The students walked up to the principal to receive their diplomas in a silky blue robe as they swatted the tassel on their cap out of their faces. When the last student was handed the parchment scroll, a small speech was given by the principal who ended the speech with, "And it is my pleasure to announce this year's graduating class. Congratulations class of 2010!" Caps were thrown into the air and cheering echoed in the football stadium where the ceremony was held. Friends ran to each other to hug and couples pecked one another's cheeks. It was the happiest day of every senior's life.

Sakura looked around the stadium for Sasuke and found him standing next to Naruto. The two of them were shaking hands until Naruto pulled his friend into a quick hug before running off to find his girlfriend. Sakura slowly made her way up to Sasuke and placed her hands on his eyes. He acted confused at first which made the girl giggle and then took hold of one of her hands. He brought it to his lips and tugged at her hand so that she would now be in front of him. Sakura didn't give him a chance to do anything else and engulfed his body with her own.

"We did it! We made it through the year!" she cheered. "It feels good to finally have it over with."

Sasuke tousled her hair and smirked. "That it does. Still coming over to Naruto's house for the after party?"

Sakura nodded and replied, "Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world! You're still driving me over there?"

"Yeah," Sasuke said. "Oh look, here comes our parents."

The Harunos and Uchihas made their way towards their children with cameras raised and wide smiles. The couple posed for a few photos and even had their families get in a few of them. It eventually got irritating for the two of them and Sakura's mother promised them that they only had to do one more picture and then they could be done. As Mrs. Haruno raised her camera, Sakura decided that she was going to do something different. Instead of standing next to Sasuke and smiling, she grabbed his collar and brought his head to her level. The camera flashed as she quickly kissed him on the cheek. The mothers of both teens chuckled to themselves and Sakura's mother showed Mrs. Uchiha the photo. Sakura released Sasuke's collar and saw that he was blushing. She had embarrassed him in front of his parents and her own.

The families split ways and went home. The second Sakura returned to her house, she ran upstairs to her room to change for the party. She tossed her graduation robe onto the floor and searched her closet frantically for an outfit. Her mother passed by her room and stopped at the door to watch her daughter. When Sakura noticed her, she pulled her mother into the room and positioned her in front of the open closet.

"I need you expertise mom," she said. "I can't seem to find anything I like."

"And to think that you have been doing well on your own for a while now," her mother said and put her hands on her hips. "Okay, let's see here."

Mrs. Haruno fingered through the rack of clothing, wrinkling her nose when she thought. She reached into the dark corners of the closet and smiled as she shouted, "Ah-ha! Here we go!"

It was a short casual cream dress with a black ribbon around the middle. Sakura's mother held it up to her daughter's body and nodded with approval.

"Yep, this is the one," she said. "Now you have to wear a pair of black stockings underneath it and some black pumps."

As she left the room, Sakura told her thank you and closed the door to change. When she opened it again, she had put her hair into a stylish ponytail with a black headband. Bracelets clanked together on her wrist and a locket felt cool on her neck. She went downstairs and was surprised to see Sasuke already there waiting for her. He took one look at her and smirked. He wouldn't admit that he thought Sakura looked beautiful though she could very well tell that he was thinking it. Sakura yelled good-bye to her parents and got into Sasuke's car to go to Naruto's party.

Naruto's driveway was packed with cars and Sasuke grumbled to himself as he searched for a spot to park. He ended up putting the car at the side of the road by the blonde's yard. Music blasted from inside as the couple walked up to the front door. The door was unlocked and they proceeded inside. Naruto knew how to throw a party and the place was packed beyond control. People mingled in the living room with plastic cups full of an unknown substance and in the backyard bodies pressed together to grind with the rhythm of the music. There was a pool in the back as well and some people dove in without a second thought.

Sakura spotted Hinata and Naruto sitting on a couch outside by the pool and dragged Sasuke towards them. She waved as she approached.

"Like always, nice party Naruto," Sakura projected over the volume of the music. "I give it four out of five stars."

Naruto snorted and grinned widely. "What? Only four stars?"

"It would have been five if you were playing better music."

The blonde looked hurt and his girlfriend giggled silently to herself.

"There is nothing wrong with my music," he said to the rosette.

Sakura rolled her eyes, but it was Sasuke that responded to the comment.

"There is a problem if you like a song that goes 'big booty bitches' every few seconds," Sasuke pointed out. "Go change the song dobe."

Naruto raised his arms in defense and sat up to go change the song. He asked Sasuke to join him because if Sasuke was going to be in such a disgruntle mood towards Naruto's choice in songs, he might as well help out finding one. Before he left, Sakura asked Sasuke if he would mind getting her a drink on his way back which made Hinata ask the same of her own boyfriend. The boys nodded and walked off towards the stereo. Sakura took Naruto's place on the couch next to Hinata. The girl had chosen a similar form of clothing as her pink-haired friend to wear to the party and wore a short checkerboard dress with bold red heels. The outfit had an outgoing attitude about it though the girl who wore it was the embodiment of shy. Sakura thought that Hinata pulled off the look beautifully.

The girls talked for a little bit, mostly on what they were going to do that summer and how long it would take for the guys to return with their drinks. It was after Hinata finished talking about her summer plans that Sakura finally let out about the internship. She had kept her mouth shut about the topic for too long that she couldn't hold it in any longer. She told Hinata the entire story about how she got asked to go to Kaji and that her father said that she shouldn't go.

"So what are you going to do?" Hinata asked.

"I already called the company and told them that I was interested in joining," Sakura answered. "I am to start joining their practice sessions in a week and they're going to email me some forms that I'll have to sign before going. When they think I'm ready to perform, they'll put me into a small role to start and who knows where it'll go from there?"

"That's sounds great Sakura," the other girl said. "Though what did you're dad say once he figured out that you disobeyed him like that. I thought he would be too mad to let you out of the house."

The rosette snorted. "He doesn't know yet and thank goodness for that. I probably would be dead meat by now. Plus why should I let him stop me from following my dreams? He can't control me like that."

"But what about expenses? He can cut you off from that if he wanted to and don't forget your car. My dad took mine away when I got a bad grade on test," Hinata noted. "I'm not saying that you shouldn't go through with this Sakura; I want you to follow your dreams. Just be careful with what you do and how you handle the situation with your dad."

"What situation with her dad?" a voice asked.

The girls looked up to see their boyfriends returning with drinks in hand. Sasuke handed Sakura hers and gave her a curious look. She hadn't told Sasuke about the internship yet either.

"I got an internship to this really prestigious dance company and my dad told me I couldn't go, but I signed up for it anyway and haven't told him yet," Sakura quickly explained. "I'll tell him when I get home or sometime this week."

"I thought you wanted to be a nurse," Sasuke said.

Sakura shook her head. "My dad wants me to be a nurse however, I am a dancer at heart and that's what I want to do."

Sasuke gave her a quick squeeze on the shoulder and smirked.

"Well congrats Sakura," he stated. "I'm sure you'll do fine."

She smiled up at him and was about to say something when a new song came up on the stereo. Her eyes lit up and she jumped from her spot on the couch.

"I love this song!" she exclaimed, setting her drink on a table and swaying from side to side. Then glancing over to Sasuke, "Will you dance with me?"

He looked reluctant to join her and slowly shook his head. Sakura pouted and took his hand as she danced. "Why not?"

"I don't know how," he said.

It was a typical guy answer and Sakura would hear no more of it. She continued to tug at his hand and finally coerced him to follow her with the other dancers. He watched her dance first before joining in. She shook her hips and pumped her arms to the beat, her eyes lingering on the still form of her boyfriend. Taking his hands, she moved them in a wistful motion to get him moving. A few seconds later Sasuke had actually started dancing on his own. He copied almost everything Sakura did and even grinded against her which made her laugh. He was trying so hard to please her and was looking like a fool doing so. The song ended and Sakura wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she chuckled.

"You were right about not being able to dance," she told him.

He smirked and tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear. "I told you so."

A slower song began to play and couples lingered closer to sway with the song. Sasuke held onto Sakura's waist and slowly moved her on the concrete dance floor. She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes as she swayed. This was nice, just slowly moving with Sasuke holding her. Prom should have been like this if she had been able to go however, this was just as good. Who wants to dance in a long, expensive gown anyway?

The song ended though Sakura wished that it hadn't. She was having too much fun slow dancing with Sasuke or what he liked to believe was slow dancing. The new song was faster than the previous two and the dance floor became chaotic. Sasuke shouted to Sakura that he was going to the bathroom and would be back in a second. When he left, Sakura let herself go. She jammed to the beat of the song and even sang a bit of the melody. Her hips were moving faster than her thoughts and she was having the time of her life. Before long, she felt herself grow tired of dancing and went to go get a drink at the bar. The bar wasn't really a bar and served only non-alcoholic beverages. She got herself a cup of punch and stood by a fake palm tree as she waited for Sasuke to return.

A hand tapped her shoulder and she twirled around thinking that it was Sasuke. She was disappointed to see that it was a different teenage boy. He wore a goofy grin and a sleeveless shirt to show off his muscular arms which did not impress Sakura in the slightest bit. He leaned on his elbow on the fake tree and wiggled his eyebrows at her. Sakura rolled her eyes and took a sip of punch.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing all alone over here?" he asked her.

"Drinking in peace," she blatantly said.

He let out a hearty laugh. "Nice. I'm Katsu, star quarterback for our school. And who are you?"

"Not interested," she stated, turning her back on him.

He wasn't too happy with that and grabbed her shoulders to twist her around. Sakura was surprised that he had even thought to do that and narrowed her eyes in annoyance.

"You can't take a hint can you?" she asked him roughly. "Look, there are some nice girls over by the pool who look to be your type. Go bother them and leave me be."

"Why should I do that when my type of girl is right here?" Katsu said.

Then he put his hands in a spot where she really didn't want them to be and pulled her closer to him. He smirked at her growing irritation and caressed her cheek. She swatted his hand away from her face and pushed him off of her to create some distance.

"You're kinda feisty aren't you?" he laughed, licking his lips. "I can be that way too."

Sakura tossed her drink on him and watched as he looked at his now drenched clothes. She had had enough of him and throwing her drink on him was the only thing she could think of to shut him up. Katsu glared up at her angrily, holding out his shirt to show her what she did. His expression made her wish that Sasuke was there to protect her.

The teen wrinkled him nose and stomped up to the rosette. She did her best to stay away from him, but her arm was caught in his grasp. He tightened his grip on her and she struggled to be let free. Katsu laughed at her ignorance.

"No one denies me," he spat. "No girl has."

It was then that Sakura used her free hand to punch him square in the nose. He reeled back, holding his hurt nose with his hands. Blood trickled between his fingers and he growled at Sakura. Sakura gulped and held her ground though she really wanted to run away. She wasn't going to let this guy get away with messing with her. He practically tried to molest her on the spot. Katsu came at her again and grabbed her by the arms, shaking her body.

"You like playing hard ball eh? I'll give you hard ball," he stated. "I told you before, no girl has denied me."

A hand roughly patted Katsu's shoulder and he turned around in a huff to see who it was. He was met with a punch to the face and fell to the floor. Sakura stumbled to stay away from the falling body and glanced up to see who her rescuer was. She was relieved that it was Sasuke and ran to his side. She hugged him tightly with a weak smile on her face. Katsu struggled to get off the floor and only managed to stay on his hands and knees. He wiped the blood from his face and glared at Sasuke and Sakura.

"This girl denied you and you didn't listen," Sasuke coldly said. "Now you're on the floor like a pig which suits you quite well."

"W-who are y-you?" Katsu stuttered, mouth bloody.

Sasuke put a protective arm around Sakura, pulling her close to him. "Her boyfriend. You stay away from her got it?"

Katsu weakly nodded and Sasuke led Sakura to a quieter spot in the backyard. His eyes roamed her body to make sure she was okay though she kept saying she was fine. He just wanted to be absolutely sure that Katsu hadn't done anything to her and his bodyguard attitude gained him some points on Sakura's imaginary hotness scale. When he asked her again if she was okay, Sakura sighed.

"I'm fine Sasuke, really," she said softly. "He didn't hurt me."

"You sure?" he asked.

"For the hundredth time yes," Sakura replied.

"Do you want to leave?"

Sakura thought about it for a moment and nodded. There was nothing more to do at this party and the little interaction with Katsu was a tad embarrassing if not frightening. She just wanted to relax and be away from the noise. Sasuke led her out of the house though not before saying good-bye to Hinata and Naruto first. Sakura got into Sasuke's car and told him to drive to wherever he could think of. As he drove, Sakura leaned her head against the window and thought about what she was going to tell her father concerning the internship. He wasn't going to be happy with her and she feared the worst.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So back when I was writing Seeking You, I had a character named Katsu. He was just a bit character like he is now in Neighbors. In Seeking you, he was killed by Deidara/Sasori while in Neighbors he gets punched in the face by Sasuke and Sakura. Poor guy can't catch a break though he did deserve it in Neighbors. On another note, this is a double update so I'm posting the next chapter right now. Songs will be in the playlist later. :)


	28. Brand New Eyes Intro

**Author's Note:** Huzzah for double updates. Here's the second part. Enjoy and review :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 28:

**Brand New Eyes Intro**

_"So your father told you once  
That you were his princess  
You won't see the castle  
You cannot find your prince  
And now you've grown a lot  
And your dress don't fit right  
Your daddy's not a hero  
He stole your chariot" _

_~"Brand New Eyes Tour Intro" by Paramore~_

_

* * *

_

After the party, Sasuke drove Sakura over to an ice cream shop in town. He knew that this place was one of Sakura's favorite dessert shops and figured that it would help cheer her up after what happened. He blamed himself for not being there sooner for his girlfriend and was glad that she wasn't harmed by the guy who thought it was alright to try and hook up with her. Her refusal got a little physical and Sasuke refused to think about what would have happened if he hadn't been there after the other guy's nose was broken by Sakura. The image made him smile. He had just walked outside to see her punch the guy straight on the nose. She had some power in that fist of hers and Sasuke was grateful that she knew how to use it.

He pulled his car into an empty parking spot and helped Sakura out of the car. The ice cream shop was closing in an hour and they had to hurry if they wanted to have some. Sakura ordered her usual: strawberry ice cream with chocolate sprinkles in a waffle cone. Sasuke asked for a scoop of vanilla in a cone since he wasn't one for extremely sweet favors and paid the cashier. The couple walked outside and sat on the curb as they ate their treat. Cars whizzed by on the road across from the shop and crickets chirped in imaginary grass around them. Sasuke licked the top of his ice cream and say Sakura staring at the sky, her ice cream melting in her hand.

"Do you ever wonder what it would be like it people could choose to do whatever they pleased and everyone would be okay with it?" she asked, not even looking at Sasuke.

"Everyday," he replied. "But then I think of how chaotic that would be if that was true."

The rosette sighed and licked her ice cream.

"I suppose that you're right," she said. "However it would make telling my dad about me and Kaji easier."

"Don't worry about it too much, just wait and tell him when you figure out the best way to do so," he told her. "Though don't wait too long or else he'll feel even more disappointed in you."

Sakura snorted, "Oh yeah, thanks for making me feel better."

"Hey, take it from a guy whose disappointed his father for ages," Sasuke said. "At first you feel like you can't do anything to please him and then eventually you just tend to ignore what they say."

He stared down at the pavement when he said that. There was not a single memory that he could think of that suggested that his father had been proud of him in some since. Perhaps there was one when he was younger, but that was so far back that it was more fuzzy than believable. Sasuke caught Sakura gazing at him out of the corner of his eye. She was studying him for some reason and frowned though it was not out of disappointment. There was sadness in her eyes; a sympatric look that some how made him feel loved. She curled up into a ball on the curl, crossing her arms carefully over her knees so that she wouldn't spill the ice cream she had yet to finish.

"I've never heard you talk about your parents before," she said. "You don't like your father, do you?"

Did he like his father? Of course Sasuke did. The relationship was just strained that was all. Sasuke shrugged and twisted the cone in his hand, wondering if he wanted to take another bite of vanilla ice cream.

"I don't like him, but I don't hate him either," Sasuke explained. "We rub each other the wrong way sometimes and it's hard to please him. The only love I have for him is unconditional and that's only because I have to since he's my dad."

"Oh," Sakura muttered. She weakly smiled, "Is he happy that you got into the college you wanted to go to?"

"Yes and no. He likes that I got in, he's just not thrilled that I'm not going to follow his dream for me," he replied. "He thinks that I should have a nine to five business day like him instead of doing what I want."

"And what's that?"

Sasuke looked over at Sakura for a second. The girl was beaming and he like that she was doing so. She was the first person to ask what he wanted to do in life. She wasn't going to judge him if he didn't know what he wanted and was happy with him being indecisive. Unlike his father, Sakura actually cared.

"I don't know," Sasuke said. "You don't have to choose you're major until near the end of your sophomore year in college so I figured I would figure it out then."

"You're father should be proud of you," Sakura said, surprising Sasuke. "A real man would take control of his own life instead of following a makeshift path someone else has laid out for them."

"Just like your father should be proud of you?"

Sasuke had Sakura there. The rosette remained silent on the subject and did her best to smile. There was pain in smile and Sasuke could tell why. She was afraid to go home and talk to her father. Sasuke didn't blame her, he would be afraid too. Then Sakura leaned over and took a bite of Sasuke's ice cream, leaving a faint ring of strawberry on the creamy surface. She laughed and finished her own treat before standing up. Sasuke followed in suit and climbed into his car. He drove Sakura home and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek for good luck. She was going to need it.

* * *

Sakura waited until the next day to talk to her father. Last night wore her out and she didn't see any issues with waiting just a little longer. She walked downstairs that morning with as much confidence she could muster. Her father was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in one hand and a newspaper in the other. He had his reading glasses on and didn't hear his daughter enter the room. Sakura tiptoed towards him, her heart beginning to race. She was only a few feet away from him when he spoke.

"I heard the strangest thing on the answering machine last night while you were out Sakura," he said.

The tone of his voice was very deep and ominous. Sakura's shoulders sank and she knew that the cat was out of the bag. Her father knew and now she was going to get an ear full.

"Why is Kaji Dance Company calling our house Sakura when I told you that you were not allowed to contact them?" Mr. Haruno asked, now turning around in his chair to face her.

He was going to make her tell him even though he already found out about her disobedient behavior. Sakura saw no point in this since he knew what she was going to say.

"Because I called them and told them that I was interested in the internship. They emailed me paperwork to finalize it this morning and I completed it," Sakura told him. "Dad, I want to do this. I want to dance with Kaji."

Mr. Haruno removed his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose.

"I told you that you weren't supposed to take that internship and you go ahead and disobey me," he grumbled. "What kind of daughter disobeys her own father?"

"What kind of father denies his daughter the right to pursue her dreams?" Sakura counter.

She surprised herself with that statement. She hadn't talked back at her father like that before and it felt strange coming from her mouth. The words gave her confidence and she puffed herself up to show she wasn't going to be pushed around anymore. Her father turned pink and furrowed his brows. His lips curved down in a sharp frown.

"I did not raise you to talk to me like that," he stated.

Sakura laughed, making an unknown noise to be made from her throat. This only made her father madder.

"You're right, you didn't raise me," she said. "Mom did. You were gone all the time and I never saw you that much."

Mr. Haruno stood from his seat, towering over the young girl and shook his head with disapproval.

"So you're blaming me for your rebellious behavior?"

"Rebellious behavior? Ha! I have always done what was asked of me, following every single responsibility given to me by you and mom," Sakura ranted. "The second I ask for something for myself, it gets shot down because it might intervene with the thing you want. You want me to be something great; dad and I can do that my own way. You just have to let me."

"I'm not letting you take that internship Sakura," her father argued. "You are going to call that dance company back and tell them that you can't do it anymore."

Sakura never felt so made before in her life. Her fist curled up into balls by her side and she stamped her foot on the ground. She knew that she was acting like a child by throwing a tantrum like this, but she figured her father wouldn't listen to her any other way. Tension was growing between her and her father and it was growing fast. Her green eyes narrowed into thin slits and her brow furrowed.

"No I will not," she protested.

If her father was taken aback by the comment, he didn't show it. He just simply stood still with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Yes, you will," he replied.

"No dad, I will not call them back," Sakura growled. "This is my dream dad and you're just stepping all over it."

"Then go."

Sakura didn't understand what he meant by that and stood there dumbfounded. What did he mean go? Was he finally relenting towards her taking the internship? It was about time that he saw how important this meant to her. However, all she could say was, "W-what?"

"Go!" her father shouted. "Leave! Get out of here!"

Sakura shrank as his voice grew louder. All the confidence she had built up talking back to him was slowly degrading as he spoke to her in a hurtful tone. She had heard his angry voice before though this did not sound like it. There was something more terrifying by this voice and it was not something Sakura felt like arguing with.

"I-I don't understand," she stuttered, eyes watery.

By now Sakura's mother had come downstairs. She had heard her family arguing from upstairs since their voices had carried into her room. She stood in the doorway just as her husband had shouted for her daughter to leave. A slender hand rested over her mouth and she was about to rush over to Sakura's side when her husband stopped. It only took a stare and a raise of his hand to do so. Mrs. Haruno stood helpless as her husband tore into their daughter.

"I will not have a daughter that feels okay with disobeying her father in my house," Mr. Haruno explained. "Get out."

"Honey," Mrs. Haruno started. "Maybe we should talk about this."

Sakura's father shook his head. "I'm done talking things over with her. She knew that she was going against me and was okay with it. I will not tolerate that sort of behavior."

"Then ground her! Take away her car!" Mrs. Haruno objected. "Anything but throwing her out of the house."

"Enough of this! My word is law," Mr. Haruno yelled at his wife.

Sakura's mother glared at her husband with extreme hate. "Your word is bullshit."

Not only was Mr. Haruno surprised at this sort of language, but Sakura was as well. She had never heard her mother use such vulgar language in front of her father. The only time the woman had cussed was when she would stub her toe or was cut off in traffic. She must be really mad to be saying it in front of Sakura's father.

"We'll talk about this later, but I still stand by my decision," Mr. Haruno stated, staring at Sakura's mother. Then he glared at Sakura, "Take whatever you want from your room right now and leave. Your car stays here."

Sakura's mother was about to object again, but Mr. Haruno interrupted her. "She's out of here and that's final."

He left the room in a foul mood, leaving Sakura to sob in her mother's arms. Mrs. Haruno stroked her daughter's head as she attempted to sooth the upset girl. Sakura hadn't expected her father to throw her out of the house for disobeying her and the punishment had come as a shock.

"Ssh, it's going to be okay," her mother calmly said.

"No its not," Sakura cried. "Dad just kicked me out!"

"Don't worry about your father, I'll take care of him," her mother told her. "Now go pack your things and head over to Sasuke's or Ino's for the time being. When things clear up over here, I'll let you know."

Sakura wiped the tears from her eyes and did what she was told. She went upstairs and stuffed a few things into an old backpack. As she packed, she could hear her parents yelling at each other in another room. Their voices echoed in the hallway as she went downstairs and she blocked out what they were saying. They were arguing about her and that's all she needed to know right now. Outside, Sakura trudged her way over to Sasuke's house. She waited for him to answer after she knocked on his door. He opened it a moment later.

"Sakura?" he said.

The only thing that she could do in response was throw herself into his arms and cry.

* * *

**Author's Note:** It's just not Sakura's week. I plan on doing some fluffy stuff later. I feel like I haven't done enough of that. And we're almost to 200 reviews! Right now it's at 181, already higher than Journey with Me and Seeking You. Also I figured I throw in a Paramore song in here though it's just the intro to their tour. My sister wants me to put in a Muse song as well, I'm just not sure what yet. Anyway hope you enjoyed it and please review. :)


	29. 4 Minutes

**Author's Note:** Hey guys. Its another double update. Enjoy! :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 29:

**4 Minutes**

_"Come on boy  
I've been waiting for somebody  
To pick up my stroll"_

_~"4Minutes" by Madonna~_

* * *

Sasuke dragged himself downstairs one morning with his hair askew and an old pair of sweats. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he yawned and took a seat at the dining room table. He held up his tired head with his arm though multiple times he had to jerk himself awake when his head slipped out of his hand. A pleasant buttery smell entered his nose and he smirked. Breakfast was almost ready and he couldn't wait to eat it. Itachi came downstairs moments later looking no better than his younger brother. Sleep ringed his dark eyes and the ponytail that kept his hair out of his face was loose. He nodded in Sasuke's direction and slumped down across from him. Letting out a rather obnoxious yawn, Itachi shook open a newspaper that had been set on the table for the two boys. He leaned back in his chair as he began to read.

Both boys noses wrinkled with delight as food approached them via Sakura. She wore a wide smile and set a platter of pancakes down on the table. Smoothing down the apron she wore, Sakura said that she would be back with the rest of the food momentarily and went into the kitchen. Itachi forked himself a few pancakes easily without averting his gaze on the newspaper page he was interested in. Sasuke picked two pancakes from the plate and spread a large amount of butter onto them along with a small drizzle of syrup. He cut a triangular slice into them and stuffed them into his mouth. Sakura knew how to cook because those pancakes were absolutely perfect.

Sakura came back into the room with a high pile of bacon on a plate. She set it by Itachi because she knew the older Uchiha boy rather liked the food. With a pair of tongs, she put some bacon on Sasuke's plate and a larger helping on his brother's. Only then did Itachi look up from his paper and did so to give Sakura an appreciative look. She smirked and then winked in Sasuke's direction. She then left once again to bring in more food.

"I think I might love your girlfriend, little brother," Itachi said as he chewed on some bacon as he read his paper.

"You're only saying that because she feeds you," Sasuke stated.

"True, I've never been so well fed in my entire life," Itachi replied. "Well, that and she also does laundry for us."

"Us? She doesn't do my laundry," the younger Uchiha said. "I can't believe you have her doing your laundry. You've become lazy Itachi."

Itachi shrugged his shoulders and took a bite of pancakes. "What can I say? Your girlfriend acts like an old-fashion housewife."

Sasuke couldn't argue with that. Ever since Sakura had temporarily moved in with him, she's taken over the cooking and cleaning. He could tell that his parents appreciated that Sakura was doing this for them knowing that it was one less thing that they had to worry about when they got home in the evenings. She did this for them for two reasons as far as Sasuke could tell. The first reason was simple. It was a form of payment for allowing her to stay with the Uchiha family. The other reason seemed to remain hidden under Sakura's happy disposition. She needed to get her mind off of her father that the fact that she was kicked out not too long ago. Sasuke remembered how much she had cried when she came to him for comfort the first day she stayed with him. Nowadays she was more conservative with her emotions on the subject and hid it with keeping herself busy.

Sakura sauntered back into the room with eggs and toast and sat herself down next to Sasuke after placing the last of the food on the table. She no longer wore the apron and adjusted an oversized grey shirt with a band logo on it. Sasuke recognized it as one of his that he had been missing for awhile now.

"So what do you have planned today Itachi?" Sakura asked, covering her plate with food. "Anything exciting?"

"I have a paper to finish writing for one of my law classes and a few notes on current court cases that I have to take before heading back to school tomorrow," Itachi said. "Then there is the pile of laundry that I have to still do."

"Ah that sucks," Sakura said with a sympathetic glance. "And don't worry about the laundry I'll do it for you."

Itachi smirked in Sasuke's direction who countered back by mouthing "lazy-ass" when Sakura wasn't looking. It was starting to become clear that perhaps Itachi was taking advantage of the rosette's presence.

"So what do you have planned to do today besides my clothes Mama Sakura?" the older Uchiha asked, using his nickname for Sakura.

The girl frowned at the name but at the same time found it amusing. She twiddled her fork between her fingers and stabbed her half-eaten pancake on her plate.

"I start my internship sometime this week and need to work out a little so that I'm not too terribly out of shape on my first day," she announced. "I was thinking about going out for a run."

Then she turned to the boy next to her and smiled widely. "Would you like to come with me?"

Sasuke thought about the request for a second. Would he like to join Sakura and see her in short-shorts while she jogs? Why yes, in fact he would rather like to join her. The image of Sakura he now had in his head was not an appropriate one. He didn't know where it came from and blame his raging male hormones. Instead of replying in a hasty tone, Sasuke simply nodded and tried to cover his reddening face behind the glass of orange juice he now drank. It may have fooled Sakura, but Itachi slyly grinned at his brother's childish gesture.

"So you will go with me? That's great! Thanks Sasuke," Sakura said, hugging him.

Sasuke rolled his eyes with a small smirk and his brother chuckled to himself though Sakura heard him.

"You're going to regret asking him to run with you," he said after Sakura asked him what he had found to be funny.

"Oh, how so?"

"He's pretty fast. No one can catch up to him," Itachi explained. "Well, no one except for me that is. He hasn't gotten to the point where he can actually out-run me quite yet."

"Pssh, I'm pretty sure that I can keep up with him," Sakura proclaimed. "He can't be that fast."

Itachi shrugged and shook out his newspaper so that it was crisper in his grip. "Go ahead and test that theory out. But I'm telling you that you're not going to be able to catch him."

* * *

Sakura's tennis shoes tapped on the sidewalk as she ran in the park with Sasuke. She wore a tank top so that she wasn't too hot considering how hot it was outside. Her hair swished from side to side as she ran and sweat trickled down her forehead. She wiped the sweat away with her fist and turned around to see how far back Sasuke was. He wasn't too far behind, keeping a steady pace as he ran. He wasn't paying to much attention to the path he was following and seemed to be staring at something low to the ground though Sakura wasn't sure what it could be. Sakura called out his name and he shook from the trance he was in before slightly blushing.

"You okay back there?" she asked humorously. "I thought that you were supposed to be like this extremely fast runner or was Itachi just lying?"

"Maybe you're just faster," Sasuke spoke back. "On the other hand, maybe I'm just being nice by letting you think that you can out-run me."

"So you're saying that you're going easy on me?" she said, a playful smirk gathering on her face. "I'm not sure that I believe you."

Sasuke skidded into a halt and Sakura stopped soon after. He ran his hand through his moist hair and asked, "Wanna bet?"

Sakura thought about it for a moment and then nodded. She stretched her legs and lifted her knees to keep her blood pumping.

"Alrighty then, we'll race to see who's faster," Sakura suggested. "Whoever wins gets bragging rights."

"And I get my band tee back if I win," Sasuke added.

Sakura colored. "Oh, so you noticed."

The young man got closer to her and nodded. He was so close that she could feel his heavy breaths against her cheeks. She put her hands on her hips and bit her lower lip.

"Yeah I noticed, I've been looking for it for a couple of days now," he explained. "So you've been sleeping in it?"

The rosette nodded her head "yes" and shrugged her shoulders apologetically. "What can I say? It's really comfortable and I like the band."

That wasn't the whole story. Sakura had found that the shirt smelled a lot like her boyfriend and wore it at night since they weren't allowed to sleep in the same room. Not once did she wash the shirt since she feared that it would ruin the scent it carried. At first, she thought that stealing the shirt was a little creepy, but the feeling soon faltered away after wearing it a few times. That morning she had been a tad bold by wearing it to breakfast and was now embarrassed that Sasuke had found out about it.

"So I'm guessing if you win, you would like to keep it?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes please," she answered.

Sasuke held out his hand for her to shake and said, "Deal."

The two of them stood side by side and lowered their bodies into a starting position. Sasuke counted to three and then the jumped into a quick run. They ran all around the park, circling the small path around a pond in the park that was off the main running trail. Sakura pushed her legs hard to keep pace with Sasuke, quickly coming to terms with what Itachi had said about Sasuke's speed. She was growing tired by the minute, but would not let herself lose to the boy by her side. It wasn't just because she wanted the shirt (though that was a large factor); she wanted to prove that she could beat Sasuke at something he was good at.

They rounded a set of trees by the trail and passed a pair of fellow joggers when the agreed finish line came into view. It was a bench swing by the playground and Sakura was relieved to see it. She was tired of running for the day and needed a break. There was no point in trying to win now; Sasuke was not even fazed by the workout while Sakura was struggling to keep up. She might as well slow down. However, she was glad she didn't. Sasuke let out a hearty grunt and slowed his pace. He clutched at his side as Sakura ran ahead. She reached the bench swing and stopped as soon as she got there. Pivoting around on her toes, she thrust her fists to the sky in triumph and cheered.

"Oh yeah! I won!" she shouted as Sasuke walked to the bench. "Looks like I'm the best runner between the two of us huh?"

"Looks like it," Sasuke huffed, scooting over so that Sakura could sit next to him on the bench. "I am no match for you."

He smirked as he wrapped his arm around Sakura's shoulders. Sakura gazed at him as she snuggled against his side. For someone who just lost, he was sure acting like he had won. Then Sakura's eyes grew wide and she pulled away from him.

"Wait a second, was that sarcasm?" she asked him roughly. When he didn't say anything and continued to smirk, Sakura added, "Oh my God, did you let me win? You did, didn't you?"

"So what if I did? You get to keep my shirt. I thought that you wanted it," he replied, getting close to her to nuzzle her cheek with his nose.

"I did, but I wanted to earn it fairly," she explained.

"Even if you lost, I would have let you keep it," Sasuke said. "You obviously like it too much."

Sakura wasn't sure how to answer to that and just ended up saying "thank you" for Sasuke's kindness. She leaned in towards Sasuke and planted a kiss on his lips which led to more kisses. When they finally pulled away from each other, Sakura sighed from how tired she was. Sasuke ran his fingers up and down her bare shoulders as he held her.

"Want to run some more?" he asked her.

Sakura shook her head. There was no way that she could run anymore today. The race had made her extremely tired.

"Nah, I think I'm done for the day," she said.

"Do you want to go back to my house?"

She nodded and started to get up, but wavered on her feet. Sasuke gripped onto her shoulder to keep her steady and shook his head when she told him that she was fine walking on her own.

"You're exhausted," he told her as he turned to have his back face her. "Here, I'll carry you to the car."

The rosette didn't argue with that and climbed onto his back. Her legs tightened around his waist and her arms hung on his shoulders as he made his arms into a makeshift seat to keep her lifted. Sakura rested her head on his shoulder as he began to walk and closed her eyes. Taking in a quick whiff, she could smell the familiar musky scent that came from his body and smiled to herself.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I'll post the other part to this double update sometime today. Itachi is a little OOC to me here, but I kinda like him that way. It makes him seem more like an older brother. Anyway, enjoy and please review. I'll post the other part later. :)


	30. Telescope Eyes

**Author's Note:** Here's the second part. Enjoy :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 30:

**Telescope Eyes**

_"Please don't make me cry  
I'm just like you  
I know you know  
I'm just like you  
So leave me alone"_

_~"Telescope Eyes" by Eisley~_

_

* * *

_

When Sakura walked out of Kaji Dance Company's headquarters, she absolutely beamed. Her feet ached, the muscles in her legs throbbed, and her abdomen felt like it wanted to cave in on itself after being used so much. The weight of her dance equipment in the bag over her shoulder felt heavier than it had been at eight o'clock that morning and that was five hours ago. The pain though irritating was actually welcomed by the young woman. It made her feel like an actual dancer and that's all it took to persevere through the aches. She took a deep breath and leaned against the wall outside the large studio as she waited for her ride. Since her father had taken away her car as part of her punishment, she had to find other means of transportation to get around.

A car pulled up to the curb and honked, making the rosette roll her eyes as she walked up to it. She climbed into the passenger seat after throwing her bag in the trunk and buckled up. Ino sat next to her on the driver's side and carefully pulled away from the curb into ongoing traffic. Her parents had finally lifted her car suspension and Sakura took advantage of this. She had chauffeured Ino everywhere and it was the blonde's turn to return the favor. Well that and the fact that she still had some making up to do after blabbing Sasuke's secret to everyone.

They drove for awhile since Kaji was located in downtown Konoha which was quite the drive from the suburban area where the two girls lived. The two of them talked a little bit and listened to the radio in hopes of hearing one of their favorite songs. It wasn't long before Ino noticed a piece of paper in her friend's hands. She pointed at it with her free hand as she kept her eyes on the road and asked about it.

"Oh this? It's a complete schedule for my training days at Kaji and on the back are highlight nights that they wish for me to perform to see if they want me to stick on as a permanent dancer," Sakura explained. "And at the bottom is the number of a personal trainer that I could contact if I ever wish to use one in the near future."

Ino didn't say anything and smiled. She had this look in her eye like she wanted to tell Sakura something. Sakura lightly chuckled and smirked.

"What is it Ino?" she said. "Come one, spit it out."

Her friend quickly turned to her, flashing her pearly whites before turning back to the road.

"So it's really happening? I knew that you dreamed of being a dancer since we were little kids and wow, now its coming true," Ino said, her eyes glistening. "You're going to be a professional ballet dancer!"

"Well the jury's still out on that since I'm still a mere intern at Kaji," Sakura pointed out. "There is still a chance that they won't sign me on to the company."

The blonde snorted and signaled right for a turn at a stoplight. She looked for any oncoming cars and quickly turned onto the desired road before replying.

"Sakura, they will choose you. You're an excellent dancer and deserve to be in the dance company," the girl stated. "I know that you'll get in, I just know it. They can't turn you away. It'll be the biggest mistake they will ever make."

"Oh Ino, thank you," Sakura said. "Thanks for that. It's nice to hear that someone besides Sasuke likes my dancing."

"Are you kidding? He and I aren't the only ones. The day of the dance contest you had to do back in early May, people were talking about how good you were after you got off the stage," Ino proclaimed. "I'm really proud of you Sakura."

The rosette was at a loss for words and resisted the urge to hug Ino while she was driving (it could cause an accident if she did). She wanted to cry; only a little bit. By hearing Ino say that she was proud of her was one of the best things she had heard in awhile. It raised her self-esteem to perhaps the highest level that it had ever been in a long time. It made her feel good about herself and her skills towards being a dancer.

"You're following your dream which is what everyone should be doing," Ino went on. "People should take you as an example of what they should do. I mean, that's what I'm gonna do which college starts up."

"What are you going to do?"Sakura asked.

"I'm going to be a fashion designer," Ino elaborated. "I've always wanted to be one. I'm the one that usually picks out your clothes for dates and such anyway. It's just about time that I start making those clothes to put on you instead of having to deal with the stuff I see in stores."

Ino pulled into Sasuke's driveway and Sakura patted her friend on the shoulder.

"Go for it Ino. You'll regret it if you don't," she said as she got out of the car. "I have faith in you."

The blonde sheepishly smiled and waved good-bye to her friend before driving away. Sakura walked into Sasuke's house only to find it empty. She was okay with that, knowing that they would all return later that day anyway. She went upstairs into the guest room that she now occupied for a week and changed into some more comfortable clothes after taking a quick shower. Sitting on the bed, she began to read a book recommended to her by a colleague at Kaji. It was supposed to show her how to balance out dance life and her free time. She was getting really interested in it when her phone rang in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw on the caller id that it was her mother. Taking a deep breath, she answered the phone.

"Hello," she greeted.

"Hey sweetie," her mother replied kindly. "I miss you."

"I miss you too mom, but you do know that I see you every morning when you leave for work," Sakura said. In fact, in the mornings were the only times that Sakura had been able to see her mother after being kicked out of her house.

"Doesn't mean that I still don't miss you," her mother pointed out. "I have some news for you."

Sakura gulped and told her mother to go on.

"Your father and I have come to a compromise concerning you and that internship you've earned," Mrs. Haran said. "He has agreed to let you continue on with it."

"Are you serious?" Sakura exclaimed. "That's great!"

"Yes it is, however there is more," her mother went on. "Since you disobeyed your father and talked back to him, we have agreed to ground you. You can't call anyone unless it's Kaji or us and you can only drive your car to important places like recitals. Computers are off limits and that's about it. You'll only be grounded for a week, but it'll blow by quick."

It was the best news Sakura had heard. Her dad wasn't that mad at her anymore and she could continue on with Kaji without the constant feeling of disappointing her father. Her life was coming back together again though there was just one last thing to make certain of.

"I can come home right?" Sakura asked, eagerly awaiting the answer.

She could hear her mother chuckle on the other end and took it as a good sign.

"Of course you can come home. You can move back in whenever you feel like it," Mrs. Haruno explained.

"This is just so, so amazing mom! I can't believe this is happening, thank you for talking to dad about this," Sakura rambled. "Don't worry I'll move back in soon."

"Take as much time as you want, there is no rush," her mother said before saying good-bye.

Sakura hung up her phone and couldn't stop smiling. Today was a good day for her.

* * *

Later that evening when all the Uchihas had returned back home, Sakura carried a large basket of clean clothes up the stairs so that she could fold them in her room. She was half-way there when she overheard Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha talking. It wasn't in her best interest to snoop on their conversation and she hadn't planned on doing so. However, her name came up and suddenly her ear was glued to the wall by the open bedroom door. She kept telling herself to leave and ignore the conversation, but for some reason she couldn't. Curiosity overtook her and she remained as still as a statue by the wall.

"She's really a lovely girl," Mrs. Uchiha said. "It's nice to come home to someone else doing the cooking and cleaning besides myself."

"Yes, I'll admit that she's been helpful this past week and perhaps even more so as the weeks go by," Mr. Uchiha replied. "But I don't know if she's good for our boy."

Sakura froze and felt like her stomach had been punched multiple times. She slummed to the carpet and continued to listen to the two adults talking though at that point she really felt like she should leave.

"How can you say that?" Mrs. Uchiha asked. "She's good for him. Have you ever seen him so happy? I certainly haven't, not since he was younger."

"She's a distraction, that's what she is. To Sasuke, Sakura comes first. I can see it in his eyes and I know if there ever was a choice between his career and her, he would pick her," Sasuke's father ranted. "My son will not have some girl come between him and the future he should have. I won't let him destroy himself."

"Fugaku," Mrs. Uchiha sternly said. "You can't control that boy. He's old enough to choose his own path. If he picks Sakura, then so what? There are worst things in the world."

There was a pause and the shuffling of socks on the carpet. The mattress in the room moaned as someone sat on it, perhaps it was Mr. Uchiha. Sakura couldn't tell and didn't dare check to find out.

"I know you care about our son's happiness as much as I do, but do you really want him to choose some girl that he might not always be with instead of a steady career?" Fugaku asked his wife. "Would you really be happy with him setting everything aside for her?"

"It's not about my happiness at all."

"Would you be happy with Sasuke if he quit college and a bright future for Sakura?" Sasuke's father repeated himself. "She could break his heart and then he would have to pick up the pieces for his future by himself. Do you really want Sakura to come between his education?"

"No, I don't think I would be happy," Sasuke's mother hesitantly replied. "I would think that he would be making a mistake if he quit school or failed it because he was too distracted by Sakura. However, it is not for us to decide for him. If he screws up his future, then it is himself to blame not Sakura."

Fugaku snorted and the mattress shifted under his weight. "How can she not be to blame if she goes flaunting herself around our house everyday? She's a walking distraction as is."

Sakura couldn't take anymore of the conversation between Sasuke's parents and slowly stood up. She rushed pass the bedroom to get to her own and shut the door behind her. Tossing the laundry basket to the side, she sat on her bed to cry. Sasuke's father was a horrible man. She would never let herself get between Sasuke and his future. It would hypocritical to do so considering how hard she had worked to secure the future she wanted. Sasuke should be able to pick his own path and she would never tell him how to choose it. No one else should for that matter.

The door to her room creaked open and she lifted her head to see Sasuke walk into the room. He closed the door behind him and sat at her side. He rubbed her shoulders to calm her down and told her that everything was going to be okay though he had no idea why she was crying in the first place. When he finally did, Sakura told him everything. She explained how his father thought that she was a nuisance and a distraction and how his mother would be upset if Sasuke choose Sakura over a career. She went on about how his father would blame her if Sasuke ever went astray. Sasuke grew tense by the minute and paced in the room angrily after hearing everything. He finally snapped and said that he was going to speak to his parents.

"No! Don't do that," Sakura told him. "Then they would know that I was snooping and will be less trustful of me."

"And let myself just stand here as they insult you and decide my future for me? I don't think so Sakura," Sasuke roughly said.

She placed a hand on his arm and looked at him intently. "Please Sasuke don't. I don't want them to be angry with you."

"But..."

Sakura shook her head and closed his mouth by placing two fingers on his lips. She then pulled them away and replaced them with a quick peck. Sasuke caressed her cheek and sighed as he tucked a loose hair behind her ear. She could tell that he was fighting the urge to storm in on his parents.

"I think that I should leave," Sakura said. "My dad is allowing me back in the house and has accepted the fact that I have an internship."

"You don't have to leave Sakura," Sasuke assured her. "Stay and we can show them that they're wrong about us."

"I'll stay the rest of tonight, but tomorrow I'm moving back in with my parents," she stated. "I can't stay in a place where there are people who don't like me that much."

"Itachi likes you, my mother likes you even after what she said," Sasuke pleaded with her. "I like you. No, I love you. It's only my father that has a problem with you so he's out-numbered."

It was really tempting to say that she would stay, but Sakura felt like it would be best if she left. She shook her head and weakly smiled.

"Sorry Sasuke, but no," she said. "It's for the best. And who knows? Maybe we will be living with each other in the near future. That'll really piss your father off and will prove he's wrong."

"I suppose your right," Sasuke said, but Sakura could hear the reluctance in his tone.

She hugged him and told him good-night before closing the door. She went to the closet and grabbed the bag she had brought over the first day she arrived. Packing everything except for the clothes she would wear tomorrow, Sakura put on her favorite shirt, Sasuke's old shirt, and went to bed at the Uchiha house for the last time.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Yes Sasuke's dad is horrible. So there are about three more chapters of Neighbors. I'm getting excited about finally finishing this story. It's the longest one I have ever written. However I will not finish it by the time I start college which is on Sunday (move in day). I'll see if I can fit in another chapter or two before I go and if I can't do that then I'll update when I get settled into my dorm. Grr, I really don't want to start school but it has to be done. Hope you guys enjoyed your double update and I'll update when I can. :)


	31. Dream On

**Author's**** Note:** Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I'm at college now (hurray!) and I've been a bit busy. Anyway, here is the new chapter. Enjoy and review. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 31:

**Dream On**

_"Half my life's in books written pages  
Live and learn from fools and from sages  
You know it's true  
All the things come back to you."_

_~"Dream On" by Aerosmith~_

_

* * *

_

Sasuke searched his room for his good pair of shoes and tripped over a bundle of clothes on his floor. Cursing mildly, he sat up into a kneeling position. Ever since Sakura left for her own house, the chores that she used to do for the Uchihas were back to being neglected. Sasuke didn't even remember the last time anyone in his house had done laundry. Piece by piece he picked up the pile of clothes only to have his shoes revealed to him underneath it. The clothes were thrown onto his bed and Sasuke tied on his shoes. Once finished, he went in search of his wallet and keys. As he fumbled through his drawers, his father sauntered in. For awhile the older man watched his son run around the room before finally asking what he was doing.

"Lost something?" Mr. Uchiha asked, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.

"My wallet and my keys," Sasuke grumbled.

He was not in the mood to deal with his father. After what he had said about Sakura, Sasuke wasn't too keen about his father. Why was he so against his relationship with her? Did he really want them to break-up that badly? It just infuriated Sasuke to think about it.

"Your keys are downstairs on the kitchen counter like they always are," his father sighed. "And as for your wallet, I do believe that I see it sticking out from underneath your bed."

Sasuke mumbled a thank-you and stuffed his wallet in his back pant pocket. Straightening his white button up shirt, he ran his fingers through his black spikes to make sure they weren't wet after the shower he had taken earlier. He wasn't looking at his father though he could tell that his father's eyes were staring him down. Sasuke was somewhat dressed up considering the button up shirt and dark pair of blue jeans. His father probably was trying to figure out where he was going seeing how Sasuke hadn't told him yet.

"You're dressed up," his father observed. "For what I wonder. Where are you going son?"

"Sakura has her first performance with Kaji today and if all goes well she'll be a reoccurring dancer," Sasuke explained. "I'm going to support her. It's the boyfriend thing to do."

The last part wasn't really necessary, but Sasuke thought that he should just toss it in there. However, he knew that it would probably irritate his father and they would end up in a fight about Sasuke's relationship again. He stood there in front of his father, holding his ground just in case a fight was to break out. When nothing happened, it only made things seem off.

Sasuke's father slightly smirked and patted his youngest son on the shoulder. It was an act so uncharacteristic and rare that it caught Sasuke off-guard. In a way, it was like his father was saying that he was accepting Sasuke's position as Sakura's boyfriend.

"Well have fun then," Mr. Uchiha said and started out the door.

"Wait, what? No 'you'll break up soon' crap? No 'think about your future'?" Sasuke asked. "I thought you disapproved my relationship with Sakura."

His father sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "There is no point in fighting it anymore. You don't listen to me when I try to talk to you about it and it seems like the relationship is still going on strong. There is a possibility that I was wrong about you two."

"But you are wrong," the teen stated. "There hasn't been the slightest hint of tension that would suggest a break-up."

"I guess that you're right," his father said and once again headed out the door.

Right as he was in the hallway, he turned around to look at his son. There was this look on his face that Sasuke couldn't quite describe. It was like a mixture of boldness and arrogance. Sasuke just wanted to wipe it right off his face.

"I wonder what you're going to do when Sakura is accepted and has to travel all the time," his father said, holding his chin and staring at the ceiling. "She's going to want go off with the company to exotic cities while you'll have to stick around here in Konoha to complete your education. Or will you travel with her? One can only guess."

With that said, Mr. Uchiha left the room and Sasuke grumbled as he swiped the pile of clothes on his bed off onto the floor. When he saw what he had done, it only made him angrier and he roughly set them back on top of the bed.

Of course he would let Sakura travel around! Why would he even think of hindering her from her dream? Sakura would never forgive him. Plus while she was gone, they could always call one another or he could take time off of school to go see her in whatever city she happened to be in at the moment. It would be difficult, but he was sure that they could make it work.

On the other hand, he could quit school to travel with her. He could get a job in whatever city she happened to be in and then start up a new one when they moved. They would life a hard life, mostly staying in hotels until there was a steady place for them to afford. Sakura would get paid quite handsomely for her performances, Sasuke looked it up once. If she was paid like a top dancer, the best of the best, she would be getting two thousand dollars a week. Also, Sasuke knew that it would piss off his father more than anything and he liked the sound of that at the moment.

Sasuke went downstairs and waved good-bye to his mother at the kitchen table as he grabbed his car keys. Hopping into his car, he revved it up and headed out towards the dance theater.

* * *

Sakura was nervous. Well, actually beyond nervous, monumentally nervous perhaps. She stood at the edge of the stage in a white sparkly tutu waiting for the signal for her and the other back up ballerinas to go on. They were performing Swan Lake tonight, the first in many performances that she would have to do this week. This was her shot to show Kaji that she was permanent dancer material. Out in the crowd she knew Mr. Maeda was sitting with the dance company coordinator and the company's owner. They would be evaluating Sakura and the rest of the interns tonight and the rest of the week. The slightest screw up would be easily detectable to their eyes. It only made Sakura nervous even more.

Also in the crowd was Sakura's personal fan club. Her parents and Sasuke sitting near the front so that they could see her better. Ino was also there with Shikamaru in tow. They were all awaiting to see her dance with this famous company even though it would be only a short part.

A stage hand motion for Sakura and the other dancers to move onto the stage and Sakura put on her widest small before skipping on her tip-toes out there. The light was almost blinding and it was extremely hot as well. The star ballerina was in front of Sakura, spinning on the tip of her ballet shoes with her long white dress flowing. Sakura lifted her arms to hop from side to side, trying to imitate swam like the other dancers. She swooped down into a low bow, presenting the top of her head to the crowd. The music playing struck a new note and Sakura remembered from rehearsal that she was supposed to move to the other side of the stage. Like the girl in front of her, she weaved between the other ballerinas to get there. Once there, she quickly lowered herself to the ground with her left leg sticking out and her right tucked underneath her. Her right arm folded towards her face and the top of her hand became a resting place for her head. To the left, she drew her arm in and then suddenly thrust it back out.

Then she stretched her arms behind her, bowing to the ground at a lower level. Her arms flapped like a bird and she slowly leaned back until her bare neck arched as far as it would go. The flapping stopped and the rosette stood to her feet. She took the hands of the dancers on either side of her and together they skipped from one end of the stage to the other. Every now and then they would have to jump in the air (which took much synchronizing during practice). The lights started to dim and the ballerinas gathered into a circle around the star dancer. The girl was perfectly still with her arms stretched up towards the heavens, not even moving to blink. Sakura and the other girls hide the dancer's body from the crowd and one of them grabbed a section of the dancer's dress. The outfit was Velcroed on and this section during the dance was the part where the ballerina turned "human".

The dress was pulled apart and Sakura followed as the girls went into a spiral direction away from the main ballerina. The star was now in a new position with her arms gathered around her and her feet tight together. She looked up at the crowd in her new garb of a short pick corset tutu with ribbons cascading from the ends. The girl was beautiful and it made Sakura that much more determined to be the next big thing in the ballet world. As the ballerina hoppled off to complete the scene, Sakura left the stage with the other dancers and sighed in relieve when her part was somewhat over. She would have to go back on stage for the finale and then again to bow to the crowd. It would be an hour or perhaps forty-five minutes until then.

Meanwhile, Sakura went over to her dancing bag and pulled out her phone. She had two texts; one from Ino and the other from Sasuke. Reading Ino's first, she had found that it was more of an essay than a short text. The blonde had wrote how amazing Sakura was and how proud of her she was. It just went on on how awesome Sakura was. Sasuke's was different. He had sent her a smiley face; pure and simple. Any other girl would have thought that her boyfriend would have sent more than that, however Sakura knew that Sasuke was different. He didn't need fancy words or elaborated sentences to tell her how much he felt about her performance. She knew that he believed she was the best dancer out there no matter what.

Setting the phone aside, Sakura went with the other interns to watch the remaining portion of the dance. It seemed to go on and on. Then finally, Sakura was called back on stage to do the finale. This time her role had changed. No longer was she a swan, but instead a woman at a wedding though she didn't look like it. Her tutu had be swaped from white to a soft baby blue with a pink ribbon corset and a white plated cloth underneath. Blue ribbons dangled from her hair and her shoes copied the color.

The rosette pivoted into a circle, prancing around as she linked and released arms with the other dancers. As the head ballerina came towards the center and into the arms of her "beloved", Sakura gathered around them like everyone else. She would look at them with enchantment growing falsely in her eyes and then swayed back towards the crowd. Repeating the motion, she then spun into a leap in front of the main ballerina and landed in a split as the star dancer kissed the fake prince to end the show. The lights were turned off so that the dancers could get into a line. They held hands as the lights came back on and then bowed at the audience. Clapping and hollering surrounded them until the curtain was drawn.

After the show, Sakura quickly changed into the hoodie and sweats she had brought. The tutu had started to itch at her sides so she was glad to be out of it for the moment. She was about to leave when Mr. Maeda called for all the interns to gather around him.

"As you know, Kaji is taking in some interns this year to see if they have what it takes to be one of our ballerinas," he said. "We were supposed to evaluated everyone of you throughout the week to come up with the final cut of dancers. However, this is not the case this year."

The girls started to whisper amongst themselves though hushed when Mr. Maeda raised his large hand.

"The head coordinator and the company's owner have decided to make the final cut today after what they saw during the performance tonight," he went on. "Unfortunately, there will be only three of you joining Kaji this year."

_Only three? _Sakura thought to herself. _The chances of my name being called are silmer even more so than before. _

Mr. Maeda pulled out a small notebook from his pocket and flipped through the pages till he got to the one he wanted. Clearing his throat, he addressed the girls once more.

"If your name is not called, please exit the building and try to intern with us again next year," Mr. Maeda announced. "Once your name is called, please sign the contract behind me and take one of the information sheets beside it. Also grab a plane ticket from me, we will be going to Kumo for our next performance in a week."

Sakura held her breath as the man started to read the names.

"Kit Ito, Madoka Arai, and Sakura Haruno. Congrats girls, you're officially Kaji dancers."

The next thing Sakura knew was that she was in the arms of the other newly made Kaji dancers, jumping up and down as they screamed. Her dream had come true and all that hard work had finally paid off. She could be a professional dancer like she always wanted. The rosette went over to Mr. Maeda to grab her ticket, her hand shaking as she did so. Afterward, she read the contract to make sure that she wasn't signing something that would come back and bite her in the future. Then she took an information sheet and ran outside to meet her family and friends. They were waiting for her and Sakura jumped into Sasuke's arms. She held onto his neck and let out a girlish squeal.

"You did a great job on stage," he told her, kissing the top of her head.

"Great? How about phenomenal?" Ino exclaimed. "She was the best!"

"I'm better than the best! You're looking at the newest member of Kaji!" Sakura shouted, pumping her fist into the air.

Her friends and family cheered with her and Sasuke lifted her up with excitement to spin her around. She giggled and went she was set back down, she planted a quick kiss on Sasuke's lips. Then turning to her family she said, "They told me that they want me to go to Kumo next week to perform. I can't wait to go and finally be an official Kaji dancer!"

While everyone congratulated her and talked about the wonderful news, Sakura glanced back at Sasuke with a smile. Her expression slowly dropped when she saw his face. He looked not completely there, staring off into space like something was dwelling in his mind. His brows slightly furrowed and the smile on his lips faded. Sasuke did not appear to be happy to know that she was leaving in a week and Sakura could not figure out why.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Yay I'm back! Hope you like what you read. I wanted to make this a double update, but I simply didn't have the time (sorry). On another note, if you like my writing go ahead and check me out at fictionpress. My username is Twisted-FaerieTale. Once again thanks for reading the chapter and please review.


	32. So I Thought

**Author's Note:** Here's a new chapter for you guys. I'll try to get another one out sometime this week or next. Meanwhile, enjoy and please review!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 32:

**So I Thought**

_"Kiss the stars with me  
And dread the wait for  
Stupid calls returning to us to life  
We say to those who are in love  
It can't be true 'cause we're too young  
I know that's true because so long I was  
So in love with you  
So I thought"_

_~"So I Thought" by Flyleaf~  
_

* * *

Sakura takes a sweater off of a hanger in her closet and folds it so that it can fit in one of her many suitcases. She repeats the process with the rest of the clothes she desires until the suitcase is too full to have more stuff put inside it. Then she moves onto the next suitcase and opens her dresser. Pants and skirts are stuffed into the bag along with socks and undergarments. She zips the bag closed and counts the luggage that she intends to take with her to Kumo. So far there are three including the duffel bag that holds all her dance equipment and toiletries. She doesn't want to over pack seeing how she would be the one lugging her stuff around from city to city. However, there are certain things that she isn't sure of leaving behind. In the end, she packs things of sentimental value into a large purse and finalizes her luggage to four bags.

Wiping a small trickle of sweat from her forehead, Sakura looks over to her bed and smiles to herself. Sasuke is lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling as he listens to music. He twirls one earbud between his fingers and furrows his brow at the lyrics. Sakura watches as he closes his eyes and she tiptoes over to his side. Gently climbing onto the bed, she hovers over him with her legs pinning his sides. Sasuke opened his eyes only to have them covered by Sakura. She leans down close to him so that her hair glides over his cheeks and nose. Once his eyes are uncovered, the rosette plants a kiss on his lips. It is their last full day together.

Sasuke kisses Sakura back, speaking the words that he cannot.

_I'm going to miss you so much. Please stay with me. _

They kiss to remember the taste of the other. They let their hands roam to capture the feel of familiar skin that will be gone for what seems like forever. Intakes of breath are taken only to hold the scent of lover that will be missed. Sakura wants to remember Sasuke the way she has always known him and Sasuke wants to hold onto Sakura in a way that a picture can't satisfy. It's emotional for both of them though Sasuke won't admit it on his part.

Sakura unlocks her lips to gather air into her lungs when Sasuke whispers into her ear, "Dance for me."

"What do you mean?" she said, touching the tip of her nose on the tip of his.

"Dance for me one last time. I won't always be there to see you dance, so dance for me," he explained.

Giggling, Sakura responds, "Every time I was up on stage and you were in the crowd, I was dancing for you."

"But there was an audience watching you as well," Sasuke pointed out. "I want you to dance for _me_."

Sliding her body off of Sasuke's own, Sakura goes over to her stereo and pushes in a CD. She selects a song and stands in the starting position. Sasuke is now sitting up on her bed, watching and waiting. Rolling her head, sways her shoulders from side to side and spreads her legs for balance. She slightly bows her head only to jerk it back into a deeper bow. Her left hand rises towards the ceiling as she curves her side like a "c" and her right arm curls around her waist. Hopping in place on her tiptoes, Sakura then slowly spins. The spins gradually increase in speed until finally Sakura leaps. She stretches her legs out as far as she can, the muscles tensing in mid-air. Landing on her right foot, she aligns herself with her grounded foot and raises the other as high as she can with her toes pointed. The whole move was done in a quick second.

She rose with her arms expanding and brought out in front of her with her hands cupped. Glancing over towards Sasuke, Sakura tried to put on a "I want you" face and teetered back on her toes. Bring her hands together, she stomped the ground and held her arms around her face so that they almost touched. She ended the dance there, feeling tired and eager to be back in Sasuke's arms. The music was turned off and Sakura sauntered over to her boyfriend with her hands behind her back.

"What do you think?" she asked.

He took her forearm and pulled her onto his lap. "Beautiful like always."

He kissed her again and Sakura was lost in his arms.

* * *

Sasuke sat next to Sakura at the airport and fumbled with a box in his pocket. He had done a lot of thinking since Sakura had joined Kaji and he had talked to his father. In his mind, Sasuke really didn't want Sakura to leave as much as he was happy for her. She was his better half, the piece that made his puzzle of a life complete. He couldn't see a future without her though his father could do so quite well. Sasuke would show his father that he and Sakura could bet the odds. They would be together and that's all that mattered. Sure college started in a month, Sasuke already knew that he would attend. He would need a good education to earn money to make Sakura's life more comfortable with him. Though it was tempting to just quit college all together. Distance wouldn't matter as well. He was find with calling her over the phone and occasionally visit in whatever city she would be in.

He turned his head over to look at Sakura. She was tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for her flight to be announced. Her large purse was in her lap and held tightly. The earrings he had given her on Valentine's Day were in her ears. If he wanted to do what he intended on doing this very day, he better do it quick.

Clearing his throat, Sasuke opened his mouth to talk to Sakura. However, a voice overhead called out saying that Sakura's flight was now boarding. There would be even less time to get what was on his chest out. As the flight attendants called passengers on by sections, Sasuke took this moment to address the rosette. He tapped her shoulder and was warmed by her smile. Her green eyes gleamed in perfect orbs and he wished that she would always look at him that way.

"Sakura, I love you," he said, taking her hand. "I love you in a way that I can't even explain. You do things to my heart that no one else can do."

"Ah, Sasuke," she remarked. "I love you too."

He knew that she was thinking that this was an elaborate good-bye, but it really wasn't. There was much more meaning to this conversation.

"And because you make me feel this way, I feel confident in saying that I can see the rest of my life with you even if others don't think so," Sasuke went on. "Sakura Haruno, will you marry me?"

He got down on one knee and pull out the ring box from his pant pocket. Opening the box, he let Sakura see the simple diamond ring inside. Sakura bit her lower lip and sighed. It was not the reaction that he was looking for. He hoped that she wasn't going to say what he thought she was going to say.

"Oh Sasuke, you know that I would in a heart beat," she told him and it heightened his spirits. "But I'm going to have to say no."

"No?" he parroted. She didn't want to marry him?

Sakura nodded and looked very sad. She was reluctant to tell him the truth, it was easy to tell by her expression. Motioning for him to get off of his knee, Sakura held onto his hand. She stroked his fingers and knuckles with her thumb.

"As much as I want to say yes, I can't. I'm not ready to get married," she explained. "We're too young."

"No we're not. People our age get married all the time," Sasuke rebutted.

The rosette sighed. "Maybe they do, but Sasuke, I don't want to be used like an object in order to get revenge on someone."

That caught him off-guard. Sasuke removed his hand from Sakura's and cocked his head to the side as he stuffed his hands into his pant pockets.

"What makes you think I'm doing this to get revenge?" he asked her. "You don't think that I just want to marry you because I love you and want to be with you?"

"No, I do believe that you do," Sakura objected. "But I also know that your father doesn't like our relationship. This is your way of getting revenge on your father for saying that we're going to break up."

Sasuke shook his head though he knew that she was somewhat right. He was so confused right now. She was supposed to say yes. It had played out that way in his head. Sakura loved him, he was absolutely sure of that, but by saying that she didn't want to marry hurt him slightly. It also made him a little bit angry.

"So what if I want to marry you to get back at my dad? It doesn't mean that I don't want to marry you because I love you," Sasuke roughly stated. "I want to wake up next to you every morning and hear your voice echoing through my ears. And if it so happens to slap my dad in the face, then it's a bonus for me!"

"But why does it have to be now? I'm all up for waiting until you're done with school and whenever I get a break from touring with Kaji," Sakura said.

"Because I don't want to wait."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "So it's about you now huh? Well, I'm sorry if you don't want to wait, but there are things happening now that would make it hard for us to get hitched."

"I would give up going to college to follow you around with Kaji," Sasuke admitted.

"And what kind of life would that be? You would be out of a job most of the time and could only work short hours in the cities we go to. I would always be gone performing or training," Sakura pointed out. "I don't want you to throw away a perfectly good college education."

Then her eyes got wide and she stood up from her seat. Her mouth hung open and she tilted her head to the side.

"I get it now! You're afraid that I'm going to meet someone else!"

Sasuke snorted. "No I'm not."

"You are! Sasuke its so obvious!" she exclaimed. "You know that I would never stray from you. I love you too much to do that."

"That's good to know, but I'm not afraid that you're going to meet someone else," he said. "Look, are you going to marry me or not?"

It was the last time he was going to ask her. If she didn't say yes this time, then Sasuke didn't know what he was going to do. Sakura took in a deep breath before answering.

"No Sasuke, I'm not."

The flight attendants called out Sakura's section for the plane and the rosette gathered up her large purse by throwing it over her shoulder. She rested her hand on Sasuke's shoulder as other passengers walked pass them to board the plane.

"I have to go now," she muttered. "Promise to call me?"

He nodded.

"And when we come back to Konoha to perform, will you come see our show?"

"Of course," was all he could get out.

She pecked him on the cheek and waved as she headed towards the boarding dock. "Good-bye Sasuke, I love you."

He nodded again and waved. Sakura turned her back on him and he watched until her form was lost among the other airplane passengers. Sasuke took one look at the ring in his hand and roughly shut the box.

* * *

**Author's Note:** For some reason, doesn't like me aligning to the center. Oh well. So there are two chapters left to Neighbors. I know, I can't believe its ending too. I would also like to say that this is going to be my last story on FanFiction. Don't worry, I'll be doing some one-shots/drapples, but college is taking up most of my time and I also want to try another form of writing mainly writing my own stories w/o using someone else's characters. By the way, I love that I'm at 200+ reviews. Thanks you guys! I appreciate every single review/fave/watch I get. It makes my day. I'll put the song on the playlist and will post the next chapter when I can. Please review and have a great week. :)


	33. Blackberry Stone

**Author's Note:** Update time! This chapter has a lot of bracketed parts in it just to let you guys know. Well, enjoy and review. :)

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 33:

**Blackberry Stone**

_"And you did always say that one day I would suffer.  
You did always say that people get their pay.  
You did always say that I was going places,  
And that you wouldn't have it any other way."_

_~"Blackberry Stone" by Laura Marling~_

* * *

Sakura was just coming out of the shower when the hotel phone rang. Not wanting to miss the call, she tugged on a tank top and her undergarments as she ran for the phone. Her clothes stuck to her body and her hair plastered itself onto the back of her neck. She answered the phone with shaky breaths, twisting the phone cord between her fingers. A weak smile rose on her lips when she heard her boyfriend's voice on the other end asking her about her day. Hearing his voice, even the barely audible sighs, lifted her spirits every time he spoke. Sasuke was at college now with Naruto as a roommate and a full schedule that limited his time. The two of them had talked early this month, but now it was nearing the end of it and they had been playing phone tag all week. This was the first time Sakura had actually been able to pick up the phone in time to hear Sasuke on the other end.

She was listening to him tell her about his week, on how Naruto refused to clean his side of the dorm , and the recent load of work his professors had given him. In a way, all this talk about college made Sakura want to go there herself. It was quickly dismissed when she told herself that she was living her life-long dream nowadays. After a while, their conversation became strained and the crackling noise of the phone connection was met with silence. Sighing, Sakura asked her boyfriend a question that she had been asking for so long.

"So are you still thinking about coming to see Kaji when we come back to Konoha?" she asked.

There was a pause and then, "Yeah, if I don't have finals on the days you perform."

"Well hopefully you don't have finals those days," Sakura replied.

"Speaking of which, when do you think you'll be coming back to Konoha?" Sasuke asked her.

Sakura shrugged to herself and blew air out of her nose.

"I'm not sure, but I think that we are possibly coming back a week before Christmas," she deduced. "Though I might have that wrong."

"Okay, well finals haven't been posted yet, but they are usually in December," Sasuke said. "I'm sorry, but I have to cut this conversation short Sakura. I'm supposed to be writing a paper."

"Well, then I'll let you go. Have fun writing your paper," Sakura said. "I love you."

"Love you too."

Then they both hung up leaving Sakura only begging for more time.

* * *

It's October and Sasuke is in his room playing video games on the television that he and Naruto bought together. The two of them are in a head to head battle in some fighting game when Naruto asks if Sasuke has called Sakura yet sometime this week. Sasuke freezes for a minute and pauses the game as he curses. He tells his blonde friend that he will be back in a second and grabs his coat from his small dorm closet. Now out in the cold autumn air, Sasuke searches his pocket for his cellphone. He finds it and dials his girlfriend's number. It's about halfway through dialing that he realizes that he had dialed the wrong number. He shuts his phone and squeezes the bridge of his nose. Not only has he forgotten to call Sakura, he had forgotten her cellphone number as well. Luckily, he has it saved in his phone's contacts and calls her.

She picks up the phone on the second ring. His notices that her voice sounds irritated when she greets him on the phone. Either she was mad at him for not calling her or he had caught her at a bad time. As they started talking, Sasuke just thought he had to ask, "Are you mad at me?"

Sighing, Sakura answered, "No I'm not. I realize that you have stuff to do and might not have the time to call me. It's just that you caught me at a bad time."

"Oh, well why didn't you say something? I would have called you back at a better time," he said.

"I wasn't sure when I was going to able to call you so I just decided to pick up the phone," Sakura explained.

"But you obviously have something that calls for your attention now."

"Yeah, but it can wait a few more minutes," she replied. "I miss you a lot you know."

Sasuke smirked and sits on a bench outside. He imagines Sakura sitting on the bench next to him in the green hoodie she likes to wear in the fall and the white scarf that their old high school had provided for them. He misses her just as much as she misses him and he tells her so. She responds with a giggle or what sounds like one and breathes into the phone.

"Are the trees yellow yet?" she asked. "There aren't many trees in this city."

"What city was that again?" he asked back.

The rosette slightly groans. "I'm in Iwaga. I thought that I told you that."

"Sorry, I thought that you were still in Amega," he tells her.

She snorts into the phone and says, "Well I'm not now. Look I got to go now. Love you, bye."

Before he even has a chance to say good-bye, Sakura hangs up on him. Sasuke, now a little bit annoyed, goes back up to his dorm room to finish his game with Naruto. In the end, he is distracted by his cut short conversation with Sakura and is knocked-out in the game by Naruto.

* * *

Early November, Sakura walks off the stage in Kiriga to find a bouquet of roses on her make-up table. A card sticks out from the top with her name scribbled in beautiful calligraphy. Taking a rose out of the vase, Sakura smells the flower and smiles at the scent. It's as delicate and beautiful as the flower itself. She places the rose back into the vase and reaches for the card. In her mind, she's telling herself that the bouquet is from Sasuke and greedily tears the card open. This isn't even enough time for her to read it when Mr. Maeda comes over to her.

He tells her how Kaji's new owner, a famous former ballerina that goes by the name Tsunade, had seen Sakura perform tonight. Tsunade had seen potential in Sakura and would like to see her try out one of the more notable roles in the show next time. The news is like music to the rosette's ears and she quickly tells Mr. Maeda that she won't let him down. When he leaves, Sakura falls back into the chair by her station and is in pure amazement. By taking a bigger role in the show, she would be getting a raise as well. Instead of receiving five hundred dollars and hour, a check of seven hundred and fifty dollars would be placed in her banking account.

Placing the open card between her thighs, Sakura reaches for her cellphone on the counter beside her and texts Ino the good news. The blonde girl responds with a squeal in the form of capitalized letters and a ton of exclamation points. Sakura giggles though she knows that Ino would not be able to hear it. After a few minutes of texting back and forth, Sakura remembers the letter that she had yet to read. Eagerly taking it out of the torn envelope, she opens the elegantly designed white card. The first thing that comes to her mind before she reads it is on how sweet Sasuke is for sending not only flowers, but a card as well. The smile on her lips slowly curves into a frown as she reads on and soon she shuts the card with a slap. The message inside was lovely and the thought of even sending the card made Sakura grateful. She only wished that it had been from Sasuke and not her parents instead.

A few of her fellow ballerinas come up to her as she takes her hair out of the elaborate bun it had been in for the show and ask her if she wants to join them for dinner. Sakura looks at the small digital clock on her make-up table and tells the girls that she would be delighted in joining them. She tosses her bag of dancing stuff over her shoulder and walks out with the dancers. The only thing that she forgot that night was to call Sasuke however, the call wouldn't be missed. He had forgotten too.

* * *

It's after Christmas and Sasuke is back in school much to his chagrin. Though he wasn't too keen on staying at his home with his father for a few weeks, he wasn't too thrilled about going back to school either. He liked that going to college would help get him a better career in the future, it was just that the work would constantly pile up. Throwing his coat onto his bed when he gets back from class, Sasuke goes over to the answering machine that came with the room phone he had gotten from his parents. Naruto is out and about so Sasuke skims over the messages meant for him. His finger lingers over the fast-forward button when he hears Sakura's voice on the machine.

"Hey, sorry I missed you. Just calling to see if you came to the December show while Kaji was in Konoha. I haven't heard from you in awhile so call me back when you can."

Her voice is digitalized by the answering machine and Sasuke shakes his head at her comment. Of course she hadn't heard from him in awhile, he had finals and class most of the month. Then again, he hadn't heard that much from her until today. They were back to playing phone tag, but it seemed to be a game that neither one of them were capable of stopping. Though he figured that he was just going to get her voice mail on her cellphone, Sasuke dialed her number anyway. To his surprise, Sakura answers his call, but not in the way he is expecting.

"Yeah?" she said.

"Hey, it's Sasuke," he replied.

"Who?"

"You know, your boyfriend of eleven months," he stated.

"Well, duh I know that. I was just messing with you," she tells him. "It's just that I didn't expect to have a call from you."

"What do you mean?"

"The new owner of Kaji has this assistant that I've become friends with and I thought that they were calling me. I suppose that I should be looking at my caller-id more often huh?" she said, laughing at the last part.

The only thing that Sasuke can think to say is, "Hn."

Then there is silence. It's a trait that has become common in their conversations. Sasuke can hear Sakura breathing on the other end and begins to wonder. Who is the new owner's assistant? A man perhaps? What if Sakura was more than friends with this 'assistant' and was maybe cheating on him with them? They were questions that he wasn't afraid to ask. He was more afraid of the answers.

"So this assistant friend of yours," he began. "You're friends?"

"Yeah, we've gone out to lunch a few times and sometimes to the mall," Sakura said.

"I see. So you like him?"

"Him? Shizune is a girl, Sasuke," the rosette blatantly stated. "You would know that if you asked."

Sasuke mocks a laugh and he can tell that it annoyed Sakura to hear it.

"Well it's not like you tell me much anymore," Sasuke said angrily.

"You don't tell me much either," Sakura pointed out. "By the way, did you even come to the Kaji performance while I was in Konoha?"

"Yeah, it was great," he lied.

"Tell me the best part," she demanded.

"You dancing, its always you dancing."

Sakura snorts and makes a noise that suggests that she's sitting down on a bed. "Don't sugarcoat your lie with that bullshit. You didn't come to the performance at all. Not one single day while we were there."

"Well, I told you that I might have finals the week you were here," Sasuke explained to her once again.

"The week before Christmas? You were even in college then! Ino called me that week to tell me that classes were out for Winter Break and that she was coming to the show. Sasuke, if you simply forgot that I was coming, just come out and say it," Sakura said.

"Fine, I forgot. I had more pressing matters on my mind that week anyway," Sasuke shot back.

There is silence again and Sasuke is glad. He isn't sure how Sakura is going to react to his comment and needs time to figure out a way to fix it. It'll probably be something simple like "I'm sorry" or something like that. Sakura clears her throat loud enough for him to hear and he can tell she is close to tears. Sighing, she speaks to him again with soft spoken words.

"We should break up," she says.

"Why?" Sasuke asked. "Because I didn't come to your dance show?"

"Because it's getting too hard to communicate with one another and we are slipping from each others interests," Sakura explains. "I don't want to break up, but it seems to be the best thing to do."

"I don't understand. I thought that we could make this work," he replied.

"Look, we tried the long distance thing and it turned out to not working well for us," Sakura went on. "You're at college pursuing a degree and I'm constantly travelling. We're just distracting ourselves."

"That makes sense," is all he can get out.

"But I still do love you."

It tugs at he heart to hear this, but he knows that breaking up with Sakura is for the best. He tells her good luck with Kaji and hopes that she becomes the dancer she always wants to be. He hangs up with a good-bye and no other form of affection. Ruffling his hair, Sasuke leans back onto his bed and stares at the ceiling. He didn't tell Sakura this, but he still loves her too. Sasuke only hopes that he will be able to get over her in the near future.

* * *

_Step. Twirl. Step._It's a pattern that Sakura continues to do on stage. She is a princess, the figure that all envious girls wish to be. Her hair is plated back against her head and a tiara balances on top as well. A white tutu is fitted tightly on her body and a pink corset is visible on her abdomen. Laced gloves cover her arms up to her elbows and she smiles out towards the crowd. Her smile is fake and forced since more trouble matters threaten to push through the wall in her mind.

A male dancer spins out onto the stage to act as her prince. She pretends to be in love with him and leads him around the theater stage with cheerful hops. It's nearing the end of the performance and the prince kneels down on one knee with his arms outstretched towards her. She runs towards him and he catches her with his hands. Lifting her to the air, the prince tilts his head forward. His lips are pursed together and Sakura leans down to kiss him. She feels like she is betraying Sasuke by kissing this dancer, but she knows that she isn't. The male dancer gently lowers her to the ground and Sakura faces the crowd once again. She wants to cry more than anything, but the show must go on without her ruining it with her silly emotions.

It's the show's finale and all the other dancers get on stage. Sakura makes sure that she looks happy to be there on stage along with them and goes on dancing. She is the star of the show, on the path that she had always wanted to be on. She is living her dream. _Step. Twirl. Step. _

_

* * *

_

**Author's Note:**And so ends Sakura's relationship with Sasuke and Neighbors. Don't worry, there's an epilogue. I'm working on it now. I really can't believe that this story is coming to a close. It feels like I've been working on it forever. I hope you guys liked the chapter and look for the epilogue. Review if you liked it. :)


	34. Epilogue: Neighbors

**Author's Note:** Whoa, I finished the epilogue pretty quick, but I'm sure you're all glad that I did anyway. Well, here it is: the final part to Neighbors. It's been fun and please enjoy and review. :)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

Epilogue:

**Neighbors**

_"I took a step back  
As the room was filling up  
And I was packed against these people  
And they were tossing up a strong vibe."_

_~"Neighbors" by The Academy is...~_

_

* * *

_

_5 Years Later_

Sakura stepped off the plane and took in a deep breath. The airport in Konoha was still the same though she had thought that there would be a small change to it after five years. On the other hand she shouldn't be that surprised that it stayed the same. She had been to this airport numerous times. Juggling her large leather bag on her shoulder, Sakura made her way over to baggage claim to get the rest of her stuff. It was difficult to try and grab her stuff with all the other airplane passengers doing the same thing as herself. Before long, Sakura had fought her way through to get her three suitcases. She found a small cart to put them on and directed the cart towards the airport entrance where she was supposed to be picked up by a friend.

Once outside, the rosette looked around for her driver and once she spotted them, she beamed. She called out Ino's name and ran towards the young woman that she had not seen for so long. The blonde turned at the sound of her name and ran at Sakura with open arms. They collided into a hug; both girls squealing and hopping around. Holding Sakura at arm's length, Ino inspected her long time best friend from top to bottom.

"Just look at you Ms. Hottie," Ino teased, touching a strand of Sakura's longer pink hair. "Only took you five years to blossom up into a bombshell."

Sakura laughed, swatting Ino's hand away. "Oh please, I'm nothing special. But what about you? I mean, talk about the perfect waist Ino."

The blonde stepped back and twirled around like a model on a catwalk. She blew a kiss to the sky and then winked at Sakura.

"Yeah I know I'm goregous," she said. "So tell me about this outfit of yours! Its so stylish and fits perfectly against your body."

"That's because you made it for me Pig," Sakura told her, straightening the simple olive t-shirt like dress. "And you picked out the boots for it too. But is that a ring I see on your finger?"

Ino lifted her hand to let Sakura inspect the small diamond ring on her finger. It simmered when the sunlight hit it just right.

"Shikamaru really did it huh? Well, it's simply beautiful Ino," Sakura said. "I better be a bridesmaid."

The two of them laughed as Ino pushed Sakura's luggage cart over to her car. After packing it away in the trunk, Ino started driving Sakura home. The scenary was pretty much the same will only a few minor changes. Some old stores that Sakura had a faint memory of going to were now gone as was the ice cream palor Sasuke had taken her to after graduation. Then it hit her. She hadn't thought about Sasuke for so long. What was he up to nowadays anyway? She didn't want to ask Ino about it because the blonde would get the idea that she still liked her ex-boyfriend. Well, that wasn't entirely true. There were some reoccurring feelings slowly oozing their way out of Sakura's heart. Maybe there was another way of asking about him that wouldn't set off Ino's love meter.

"So how is everyone? I mean all of our friends?" the rosette asked.

Ino smiled at her friend and then stared back at the road.

"I figured that you would ask that eventually," she said. "Hm, where to start. Tenten and Neji got hitched. They're currently on their honeymoon right now. She's a police officier and he's a lawyer. The perfect pair right there I'll say. Hinata is a preschool teacher and lives with Naruto who is an event planner for high-classed members of society. I'm sure he's going to propose to her anyday now. You already know about me: fashion intern with a businessman fiance."

"Wow, sounds like everyone's got their lives in order," Sakura replied.

She sinked into her seat and watched the buildings fly pass them as they drove by. Furrowing her brow, Sakura pointed at the window and glanced over at Ino. The blonde smirked and put on her right blinker.

"This is not the way to my house," Sakura stated with a curious glare.

"I know," Ino said. "We're taking a little detour."

"Where?"

"It's a surprise."

Groaning, Sakura went back to staring out the window. The place they were going started to look familiar and soon the rosette was positive she had an idea of where she was. Ino parked her car in the parking lot of their old highschool. As the blonde got out of the car, Sakura remained inside wondering why on earth her best friend would bring her here. Her side door was roughly pulled open and Ino stood outside with her hands on her hips.

"You getting out or what?" she asked.

Giving in, Sakura got out of the car and followed Ino inside. No matter how much Sakura begged for Ino to tell her what they were doing, Ino wouldn't even give her the slightest hint. She waited outside the main office as the blonde went inside to talk to the school secretary. Meanwhile, Sakura looked at the clock on the wall ajacent to her. There were only five minutes left before school would be let out. The sound of sneckers on the floor caught the young woman's attention and turned out to be a student hurrying back to class. Sakura noted that the teen did not wear the uniform that she had known to always have to wear for school. Why didn't they get rid of uniforms when she was in school? Ino came back out with a sticker with Sakura's name on it. She put it on her friend's chest and smiled.

"Go to room 307," she ordered the rosette. "Quickly now."

Sakura did what she was told and walked down the halls she never thought she would be in again. There were so many memories linked with this school, it brought a grin to her lips. Reading the directional signs on the walls, Sakura eventually found room 307 and looked through the window on the door. She could see students inside taking what looked like to be a test and noticed math equations on the board at the front of the room. So far there wasn't a teacher that she could see, but figured that they must be in there somewhere.

The dismissal bell rang over head and Sakura moved out of the way of the door in fear of being hit with it by the exiting students. It was then that she heard the voice.

"Turn your quizzes in at the front when you get done. Remember to go over chapter 3 section 2 so that you aren't lost during Monday's class and stop by my desk if you have any questions about the extra credit assignment," the monotone voice lectured. "Have a good weekend everyone."

No, it couldn't be. Sakura wasn't sure about who she had exactly heard speaking and waited for everyone to exit the room before investigating. When the last student left, she slid inside the room. There was nothing to prepare her for who was standing in that room.

"I'm guessing you're here about the extra credit assignment?" Sasuke asked, not even looking up at her as he leaned over his desk to shuffle papers together.

Sakura couldn't think of the right words to say to him, but decided to say in her best fake accent, "Yes I am."

She was in front of his desk now, twirling her fingers in front of her like a nervous schoolgirl. Sasuke took a leather expandable breifcase off of the floor and removed a piece of paper from it. He pushed it across his desk and pointed at the paragraph at the top.

"It explains it at the top in what you're supposed to do. Just pick a problem out of the three shown below and solve it. Then write a brief description on how you solved it to get full credit," he explained, still oblivious to her presence. "Does that make sense?"

"Yes, thank you Mr. Uchiha," Sakura said, then she took in a deep breath. "Do you know who I am Mr. Uchiha?"

Sasuke snorted and shook his head. "Playing games with your teacher is never a good idea is it?"

"Then why don't you just look up?"

When he did, Sakura knew that he was just as blown away as she was. He looked pretty much the same as he did the last time she saw him. His hair looked a little shorter and his face framed with a more mature structure. The thing she did not expect him to have was glasses though the black frames worked well on his face. Sasuke slowly sat up from his desk and looked completely confused on how to react. He opened his mouth to speak only to close it soon after. His actions made Sakura slightly smirk and she tilted her head to the side.

"Hi," she softly muttered.

"Hey," he replied. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm taking a few weeks off from Kaji for vacation and Ino surprised me by taking me here right after my plane landed," Sakura explained. She began to walk around the classroom and ended up in the center of the room when she asked, "So, you're a math teacher."

Sasuke nodded. "Advanced Placement Statistics teacher."

Sakura whistled and sauntered over to his desk to look at the picture frames he harbored there. She saw one with a little kid who looked to be about two reaching up to the camera with grubby fingers. The child had onyx eyes and dark hair. A true Uchiha spawn. She picked it up, studied it, and then showed it to Sasuke.

"Cute kid," she said, believeing it to be his.

"That's my nephew Yuji. He's going to be three this year," Sasuke told her. "Itachi's wife is expecting another one sometime in the spring."

The rosette smiled at that and put the picture down. She was about to ask something else when Sasuke said, "Do you want to go grab a cup of coffee?"

"I would love to."

* * *

Sasuke was surprised to see Sakura in his classroom. The sheer sight of her made him want to collect her into his arms so that he could kiss her. It took everything in him not to do so. Now he was across from her at Casydi's, sipping a cup of coffee. He was staring at Sakura, taking in all her beauty that he never knew that she had possessed. Her hair was longer which he liked and there was this spark of accomplishment in her eyes that he felt envious of. He did love his job, but he felt jealous of how successful his ex had become.

Sakura held her mug close to her face after taking a sip, the steam curling around her face. She played with the mug and looked around the establishment.

"Wow, I haven't been to Casydi's since forever," she said, putting the cup down. "Coffee's still as good as I remember."

"I go pretty much every morning before going to work," Sasuke said. "I'm glad you turned me on to this place."

She smiled and took another sip. Despite being broken up and apart for five years, Sasuke still wished to be that cup touching her lips. He thought that he was over her and believed that she was over him as well. But having Sakura in his classroom must be a sign of some sort. Sure Ino had made her go to the room, but Sakura could have turned around and left after seeing him. Instead, she stayed and went inside as if to say, "Here I am again. Let's try again." He also noticed that she was wearing the earrings he had given her on Valentine's Day.

"So what else can you tell me about yourself?" Sakura asked him.

Leaning back in his chair, Sasuke used one of his legs as a pillar to keep him from falling back as he thought. What could he tell her? Should he mention how he had an apartment and keep a small potted plant of gardenias on the window sill in his kitchen? Or how about the fact that he named his pet cat Othello? He couldn't possibly tell her how much she had influenced his life or could he? In the end, he did the what he thought was right and that was to tell the truth. He had to since he realized that he was still in love with Sakura.

"I have gardenias in my kitchen and a cat named Othello," he started. "There is a mixed cd in my car that I play all the time and never find to be old. How about you?"

The young woman across from him blushed as she thought and then sheepishly spoke.

"Well, I have these awesome earrings that I love to wear on all occassions and there is a giant panda still in my room back home that I like to use as a pillow," she listed. "I also have a book with a dried gardenia bud taped to the pages that I like to look at when I'm sad. Plus there is this shirt that I wear a lot when I'm not performing."

So she had kept some of the stuff he had given her. It gave Sasuke hope that there was a chance that they could perhaps start over. He leaned closer towards her and let their eyes connect. Her perfect emeralds irises glistened and it was then he knew that there were still some feelings towards him left in her. He reached over the table and took her hand.

"After we broke up I thought that I would get over you in time," he said. "Not thinking about you seemed to work for sometime, but in the end it failed miserablely. I couldn't stop thinking about you and believed that there wouldn't be a chance to try again with you. Now here you are, right in front of me and it feels like I'm getting a second chance."

Sakura didn't say anything and took in a deep breath. There was something on her mind and she was searching for a way to get it off her chest.

"Sakura, I don't know if you feel the same, but I still love you. I haven't stopped loving you," Sasuke went on. "If there is a possiblity that you are willing to give us a shot again, please let me know so that I kiss you like I've been trying not to for the pass hour and a half."

Sakura removed her hand from his grasp and cupped his face with her hands. She leaned over the table as she brought his face closer to hers and planted a kiss on his lips. She pulled away for a moment and he wished that she hadn't. Sakura was his drug and he was getting the fix that he had been without for five years.

"Sasuke, I told you the first day I left on the plane with Kaji and when we broke up that I will always love you and I still do," she said. "Maybe it is fate that we're meeting again even if it was Ino's doing, but I am willing to try again with you. I don't think that I would be able to forgive myself if I said no to you right now."

With that said, Sasuke stood up from the table with Sakura's hand in his. He helped her up from her seat and smirked. Her long pink hair fell in front of her face and he pushed it behind her ear. His fingers brushed against the soft skin of her cheek as he did so. This was it, they were going to give their relationship another shot and he was positive that he was going to do whatever it took to make it last.

Tugging her closer to him, Sasuke briefly kissed Sakura. He wanted to kiss her longer than that, but he knew that he couldn't do so in Casydi. Wrapping an arm around her waist, Sasuke led Sakura out of the cafe.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked him as they got to the exit.

Sasuke looked down at her and smirked. "Wherever life takes us."

The front door was pushed open and the couple was greeted with rays of sunlight as birds sang lovesongs to their neighbors across the way. Sasuke opened the car door for Sakura to get in and did the same on the driver's side. He started the car and drove off to wherever felt right. It started with a car rided and ended happily with one as well.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So it's over and wow. I want to say thanks to everyone that's reviewed/faved/alerted/viewed this story. I love each and everyone of you for doing so. It's been great and I have a little Neighbors FAQ at the bottom here just to like clear up a few things. Oh and sadly the song I used is not available on the playlist website, but be sure to look it up elsewhere. :)

**FAQ:**

_- So why didn't Sakura tell Sasuke that she thought she was pregnant in Chapter 23 and 24?_

Well after she took the pregnancy test, she felt like since it said that she wasn't pregnant that the situation never happened. She erased the memory from her mind so that she wouldn't have to go through with it again.

_-Are you going to make a sequel?_

Sorry, but no. Hopefully I'll make some one-shots, maybe not necessarily about Neighbors, but SakuSasu related.

_- So is Neighbors based off the song "Neighbors" by The Academy is?_

Nope. In fact, the song doesn't have anything to do with the story. If you listen to the lyrics, it sounds like he talking about a party in his apartment. I named the story Neighbors because of how Sasuke and Sakura start out. I did know about the song at the time and liked the idea of using it in the story at one point however, I wasn't sure of where to put it. In the end, using for the epilogue seemed fit because it is the title of the story though like I mentioned before it has nothing to do with the story or the epilogue.

If there is something else that you want to know about the story or maybe even upcoming stuff, let me know. :)


End file.
